Baseball is a frustrating game, even during the home run derby

Baseball is a very unpredictable and difficult game. Its frustrating nature can be seen even during a meaningless and somewhat cheesy event such as the Home Run Derby, when the game’s most dependable sluggers are fed a steady diet of batting practice pitches by pitchers of their own choosing and then get to swing at only the pitches they like. Last year, we saw Yankee second-baseman Robinson Cano launch home run after home run deep into the bleachers and beyond, winning the contest. This year, while seemingly receiving the same pitches from the same pitcher (his father!), Cano was unable to hit a single homer, often just fouling off the fat pitches. Did it happen because he was being booed by the local fans in Kansas City, who were upset that team captain Cano did not choose a local player for the AL team in the Home Run Derby? Afterwards, in a style that was typical of his superficial way of running the world’s greatest game, baseball Commissioner Bud Selig mused about making changes to the way that players are chosen for the Derby. God forbid he should actually do something that would help maintain interest in his sport, such as preventing batters and pitchers from taking longer and longer in between each pitch.