Over the years, the Home Run Derby has lost much of its luster, with many big name sluggers electing to rest up rather than swing for the fences. Now, teams are even getting involved in the decision to ensure that nothing goes wrong during what is supposed to be a break in the season.
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano was pulled out of the Home Run Derby on Wednesday by general manager Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi, hitting coach Kevin Long and the rest of the Yankees training staff. Cano insists that his tweaked lower back is fine, but the Yankees brass appears determined to make sure their slugging infielder is healthy and rested for the stretch run.
The Yankees have reason to be skeptical about Cano’s participation. Not only could the competition prove detrimental to his health or stamina during a crucial stretch of games following the break, but it could seriously hinder the swing that has landed Cano among this season’s best.
The 27-year-old second baseman is hitting .339 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs for the AL East-leading Yankees and has implanted himself as an offensive force in the middle of the team’s powerful lineup.
To jeopardize Cano’s smooth stroke and risk having him fall out of sync for the sake of smacking a ball around in the hopes of a trophy is lunacy. Sure, players and teams taking precautions such as these is what has led to the diminished hype surrounding the event, but can you really blame anyone involved?
In the words of Herm Edwards, “you play to win the game.,” And ultimately, you play to win championships. Having one’s health and fundamentals in check is vital for maximizing the potential to do so.
Why would the Yankees want to jeopardize losing a potential MVP candidate just so the fans can have a good time?
While I wouldn’t exactly say Cano is a guy that most fans think of when looking forward to the Home Run Derby, he is still the cream of this season’s crop and thus deserves the invitation to swing for the Angels Stadium fences. Having elected to decline the invitation, the league can now search for alternatives.
I understand that baseball is about the fans and Major League Baseball should do whatever it can to ensure that the fans get what they want to see, but there is a fine line between doing just that and forcing players into unpredictable situations.
Wouldn’t you — Red Sox fans excluded — rather see a healthy Cano sizzling into October than taking a few cuts at some BP fastballs from his hitting coach? The playoffs should be about every team’s best taking the field to decide the league’s best team.
Sure, there are no ill effects for most players most of the time following the competition. But there have been scenarios where players have struggled following their participation in the home run contest, and it waves a red flag for many players asked to participate — particularly those nursing an injury, however minor it may be.
An article written in the Wall Street Journal before last year’s Home Run Derby in St. Louis highlighted the drop-offs of Lance Berkman, Alex Rios, Bobby Abreu and David Wright following their respective participation in the contest.
In 2008, Berkman hit seven home runs following the All-Star break, after hitting 22 prior to it.
Rios suffered a similar fate in 2007, while Wright saw his numbers drop in the second half of 2006.
Following Abreu’s record-breaking performance in the derby in 2005, he only hit six home runs the rest of the season.
These may very well be isolated incidents, essentially affecting only one player a year, but why leave it to chance, especially for a player like Cano?
Cano saw his average dip to .271 in 2008, in addition to watching his home run and RBI totals drop. Fortunately for the Bronx Bombers, he has been able to regain his smooth stroke and is now playing better than ever, so it is neither unreasonable nor irrational for the Yankees organization to throw up the stop sign when it comes to their second baseman participating in the Home Run Derby.
The risk may be minimal, but even minimal is too much. A few bad swings and Cano could return to his .271 form, or even worse, hit the shelf.
