Last week, our state capital hosted Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities, and I believe it was a big success.
It would’ve been a whole lot better if the Braves didn’t suck and had more players competing, though.
Regardless, the Home Run Derby was a fantastic start. I liked the format, which featured eight participants and had the top four advancing to the next round, with the next two top-placers competing for the Derby title.
Unfortunately, Atlanta’s Austin Riley didn’t make it past the first round, but as a homer (pun intended) for players from the Peach State, it was nice to see Baxley native Byron Buxton hit a 466-foot bomb. It was also fun to watch Oneil Cruz, a 6-foot-7 infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, smack a 513-footer to the cheap seats.
Cal Raleigh, the Home Run Derby winner, has become one of my favorite players to follow. His nickname, “Big Dumper,” suits him well. It was also a cool story to see, with his dad pitching and his brother catching.
A few weeks ago, Big Dumper was on an episode of Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast, and he was hilarious. He led the league in home runs heading into the All-Star break, and I am excited to see how he finishes.
The grand finale of Atlanta’s MLB All-Star festivities was, of course, the All-Star game. The American League has dominated over the last decade, winning eight of the previous 10 All-Star games. So, as a diehard Braves fan, it was fantastic to finally see the National League get a win, even if it took a tiebreaker to do it.
I also enjoyed the tie-breaker format, in which each team had six players come to bat to see who could hit the most home runs and secure the game-winning run. That was much more fun than watching boring extra innings.
Although I dislike the Philadelphia Phillies, Kyle Schwarber’s clutch performance secured the National League’s victory. He blasted three consecutive bombs near Truist Park’s Chop House to secure the team’s win.
Overall, the event was fantastic for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. We missed out on this wonderful event in 2021, the year legendary Hank Aaron died, but it was heartening to see him finally honored. The photo of his wife standing among the seated fans at Truist Park watching the tribute to him should win a Pulitzer Prize.
I didn’t get a chance to attend, but I hope that someday, in my lifetime, I can go — and it will be in Atlanta again.