Washington (AFP) – Seattle’s Cal Raleigh defeated Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero 18-15 in Monday’s final to become the first catcher to win Major League Baseball Home Run Derby. The 28-year-old American switch-hitter, who leads MLB with 38 homers this season, won $1 million by capturing the special event for sluggers at Atlanta’s Truist Park ahead of Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game.
“It means the world,” Raleigh said. “I could have hit zero home runs and had just as much fun. I just can’t believe I won. It’s unbelievable.” Raleigh, who advanced from the first round by less than an inch (25.4mm) on a longest homer tiebreaker, had his father Todd pitching to him and his brother Todd Jr. as catcher. “It’s just a great accomplishment and I think that every dad… this is what they dreamed about,” Todd Raleigh Sr. said. “To see it come true for your son is unbelievable.”
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Cal was ignited by his brother’s encouragement. “He was hyping me up the whole time,” the Mariners slugger said. “Just got me going and I think that’s why I got good spurts during the Derby. It was a lot of fun. It was an awesome experience.” Raleigh, one shy of the MLB record 39 homers by Barry Bonds before an All-Star break, is on pace to set a one-season record for MLB homers by a catcher.
The final pitted the Rays’ Caminero, a 22-year-old Dominican third baseman using a bat with his image on it, against Raleigh. It featured two minutes or 27 pitches plus earned bonus time. Raleigh smashed 18 homers, setting a tough target for Caminero, who smacked homers off seven of the first 10 pitches he faced and 14 homers in all after regulation time. Needing four more to force a swing-off, Caminero could add only one in the extra session and when his final hit fell short of the outfield wall, Raleigh had the title.
Caminero, who would have been the youngest Derby winner, earns less for the season salary, $764,000, than Raleigh took home. In the knockout semi-finals, Caminero smashed eight homers in less than a minute to advance over Minnesota outfielder Byron Buxton’s total of seven. “I feel good,” Caminero said. “I’m glad the fans were here to see me put on a show.”
In the other semi-final, Raleigh homered on five of the first six pitches he faced and smashed 19 homers while Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz batted next and managed only 13. Cruz, a 26-year-old Dominican outfielder, had the night’s longest homer, a first-round blast that went 513 feet.
– ‘Let it ride’ – Raleigh smacked 10 homers batting left-handed in the first round and belted seven hitting right-handed, but went all-lefty the rest of the way. “I felt the rhythm so I just thought let it ride,” Raleigh said. In the first round, where everyone had 40 pitches or three minutes plus any earned bonus time, Cruz blasted 21 homers, claiming the semi-finals top seed with the longest homer as Caminero was also on 21 with Buxton third on 20.
Raleigh and Brent Rooker of the Athletics each hit 17 homers, but Raleigh’s longest blast was 470.61 feet to 470.53 for Rooker’s longest, advancing Raleigh to the semis by less than an inch. Eliminated in the first round were Rooker, Washington’s James Wood on 16, Atlanta’s Matt Olson on 15, and Bahamian Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees on three.
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