2014 MLB All Star Game: Gillette Home Run Derby
As the 2014 Major League Baseball All Star festivities continue to roll on, it is without a doubt, that one of the greatest spectacles of the week will be the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby. With Major League Baseball looking to continue to captivate the audience watching live at Target Field, as well as at home around the nation, the 2014 Home Run Derby will have a revised format.
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Should you find yourself on the outside looking in, still wanting to scoop up tickets for the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby, make sure to act fast as there are precious few left. The Home Run Derby will kick off at 7pm central time, with gates opening for fans at 4pm.
The 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby will feature Jose Baustista as the captain for the American League team, while Troy Tulowitzki, owner of one of the hottest bats in the first half of the Major League Baseball season, will be the captain for the National League team.
Also slugging for the American League team anchored by Bautista will be Yoenis Cespedes, Adam Jones, Josh Donaldson, and the Minnesota Twins own Brian Dozier. Cespedes is the defending champion of the event and Dozier is the first Twins player selected since Joe Mauer in 2009.
For the National league team, Troy Tulowitzki has selected bat flipping machine Yasiel Puig along with Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Morneau and Todd Frazier. While Frazier doesn’t profile as the big pop home run guy, Puig and Stanton should be sure to deposit plenty of balls throughout downtown Minneapolis. Morneau will be making his first trip back to Target Field since his departure, and he is a previous winner of the event.
Also announced by Major League Baseball, hit music sensation Aloe Blacc will be performing “Wake Me Up” and the MLB The Show 14 track “Can You Do This” before the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby. “Wake Me Up” will be performed at 6:50pm CST and air on MLB Network with “Can You Do This” being performed before the Derby and airing on ESPN.
Before @Gillette #HRDerby on 7/14, @aloeblacc will perform “Wake Me Up” on @MLBNetwork, followed by “Can You Do This,” airing on @espn.
— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2014
With the new format set up as bracketed play, here is how things will work for the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby.
Round 1
- Ten participants total; five participants representing each league.
- Batting order will be determined prior to the event. Hitter No. 1 for the NL will hit first followed by Hitter No. 1 for the AL (home team). This order will continue for hitters Nos. 2-5 for each league, with the NL going first followed by the AL.
- Each participant will receive seven outs.
- The player from each league who hits the most home runs (AL 1; NL 1) will automatically advance to round three (semifinals).
- The next two participants with the most home runs from each league (AL 2; AL 3 / NL 2; NL 3) advance to Round 2.
Round 2
- The two participants advancing from Round 1 for each league will compete against each other (AL 2 vs. AL 3 / NL 2 vs. NL 3).
- The NL matchup will occur first, followed by the AL matchup, with NL 2 and AL 2 choosing if they want to hit first or second.
- Each participant will receive seven outs.
- The winners from the Round 2 matchups (one from each league) will advance to Round 3 (semifinals).
Round 3 (Semifinals)
- The top seed from each league (AL 1; NL 1) will face the winner from his league’s Round 2 matchup.
- The NL matchup will occur first, followed by the AL matchup, with NL 1 and AL 1 choosing if they want to hit first or second.
- Each participant will receive seven outs.
- The participant from each league with the most home runs will advance to the Finals.
Round 4 (Finals)
- The semifinal winners (one player from each league) will compete for the crown of Home Run Derby champion.
- The batting order will be determined by a coin flip, which will be held at a meeting at home plate between the two finalists and their league captains (note that a finalist and team captain could be the same participant).
- Each finalist will receive seven outs.
Tiebreaker(s)
- If two or more players are tied for advancement into the next round or for the championship, each player will receive three swings to hit as many home runs as possible. If they are still tied after three swings, they will each take one swing. This process is repeated if necessary until one player wins the swing-off.
Format credit to MLB.com