Eric Thames Not Getting Invited To The Home Run Derby Is An Absolute Fucking Travesty
In my eleven years of blogging, my favorite blog topic had always been bitching about the All Star Game every single year and how it shouldn’t determine home field advantage in the World Series. Wrote the same whiny ass blog every year, and all that pissing and moaning finally paid off. This is the first year since 2002 that the All Star Game will not determine home field advantage in the World Series. I thought I’d finally have a year off from complaining about the All Star festivities, but nooooooooo. MLB had to fuck something else up by not inviting one of the most exciting players in their sport to participate in the Home Run Derby.
The Home Run Derby and the All Star Game should be looked at as an opportunity for the league to market their stars. And for the most part, they do — during the Home Run Derby and All Star Game, I mean. But how in God’s name are you going to have a Home Run Derby this year and NOT include Eric Thames? His story is incredible — after failing with Toronto and Seattle, he left the majors for Korea, became a megastar over there, returned to the MLB for small money, and continued to crush baseballs at the same rate that made him a star in Korea.
Coming into today, he’s one home run shy of the National League lead. And aside from having the home run numbers to earn an invite to the Derby, in a time when the league desperately needs marketable personalities, Thames is one of the most charismatic guys that the league has had in a long time. You obviously want to put on a spectacular show by having guys there who can crush baseballs six thousand feet on command, but it should be more about marketing your stars, which is why Gary Sanchez and his 13 home runs is going to be there over Logan Morrison and his 24.
You’ve gotta give the people what they want, and I’d imagine that most baseball fans would want Thames to be there. It’s a no-brainer, really.