J.D. Martinez smashes one dinger after another, so he’s a natural fit for the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, right?
Well…
It turns out, the Boston Red Sox slugger actually has a bit of a checkered history with the midsummer showcase of homer-hitting prowess. Back in 2015, while playing for the Detroit Tigers, the righty entered the All-Star break with 25 home runs.
Like any reasonable person would, Martinez thought he might have a chance to take part in the event, but the league had other ideas.
“MLB didn’t want me,” Martinez said, via ESPN. “I figured I’d have the option of doing it and they said no. They had other guys they wanted, all these young guys. I was like, ‘Forget it. I’ll never do it.'”
Can’t blame him for harboring some resentment.
That now makes two Sox you can count out of the Derby. On Wednesday, Mookie Betts gave a simple “hell no” when asked if he had any interest in partaking, saying he doesn’t hit home runs in batting practice.
Betts leads the league in home runs, while Martinez is in a tie for second, so it sure sounds like their respective absences will be MLB’s loss.
