Homer History: Josh Hamilton’s classic Home Run Derby performance
In our Homer History series, writers re-tell the stories of memorable home runs from their perspective. In this installment, Yahoo’s Anthony Sulla-Heffinger remembers Josh Hamilton’s epic Home Run Derby performance at Yankee Stadium.
To New Yorkers – Bronxites in particular – the old Yankee Stadium is nothing short of a cathedral.
The House that Ruth Built was place where every nearly fan in the city has a memory of one of baseball’s iconic figures, guys whose legends are so great that they need only be recognized by one name – Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Jeter, Mo.
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As much as fans love their pinstriped heroes, they can also loathe opposing players who dare sully the Yankees’ Godlike reputation. This isn’t Philly – where even Santa Claus isn’t immune to a chorus of boos – but it is not uncommon for the opposition to hear a Bronx cheer or ten when they’re in town.
On one hot, summer evening in July 2008, I watched in awe as the Bronx embraced a player who had never donned the pinstripes, but etched his name in baseball lore all the same, joining the ranks of the single-name stars the borough loved.
“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent” – Lorenzo Anello, A Bronx Tale
Coming into the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, Lorenzo Anello’s sage-like words of wisdom to his son Calogero was a nearly perfect way to describe the story of Josh Hamilton.
Hamilton, as talented a prospect as many had seen, was drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999. His ascent through the ranks was quick during his first two years with the team’s minor league affiliates, but a car accident in 2001 derailed what looked to be a stellar career.
In the years that followed, Hamilton would succumb to injuries as well as drug and alcohol abuse, putting him out of baseball for the majority of 2003-2006.
His return to baseball came with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007, where he showed promise as a 26-year-old, hitting .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBI in 90 games. He was traded to Texas that offseason, leading to one of the biggest turnarounds in baseball at the time.
In the summer of 2008 I was in between my sophomore and junior years of college at Fordham University. Like the majority of college students, I was a working part-time job in order to save money for the upcoming semester and all of the expenses that would come with it.
[Previously in Homer History: Chris Chambliss sends the Yankees to the Series]
Growing up in the Bronx, the Yankees and Yankee Stadium played a pivotal role in my sports fandom. Sure, I had been to plenty of games there, but nothing was as big as the All-Star Game being there in the Stadium’s final year. There was no question I needed to get into that building for some part of the festivities.
I spent my free time scouring the secondary market for tickets to All-Star Game, but they were out of my price range at the time. The Home Run Derby however, looked to be doable. I found two tickets, in the second-to-last row behind home plate, for just under $200 each. A little pricey for a college student, but I called a friend and we decided to buy the tickets nonetheless.
I remember everything about July 14, 2008 vividly. We made sure to get to Yankee Stadium early. We bought knock-off souvenir balls outside of the park. I purchased an A-Rod baseball card to put in my State Farm lanyard that we received at the game (I still have all of these items). We went to Monument Park to gaze upon those aforementioned baseball legends, we watched batting practice and we even tried to spot a fan from every Major League team (we did).
The old Yankee Stadium – and the new one for that matter – was built for a left-handed power hitter, with the right-field fence being 314 feet from home plate. Even with the dimensions in his favor, no one expected the show Hamilton put on that night.
It was fitting that Hamilton brought 71-year-old Clay Counsil, a batting practice pitcher from North Carolina, to pitch to him in the Derby. Counsil had only been to Yankee Stadium once prior, on October 8, 1956, when Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history.
Through eight outs, Hamilton had 15 home runs, enough to energize the Yankee Stadium crowd that night. The Rangers slugger could have stopped and easily advanced to the second round, but he decided to finish out the round.
Over the next ten minutes Hamilton would steal the show. As we watched in awe, it was impossible not to fall in love with Hamilton and the display of power he was putting on. Blast after blast electrified the crowd and Hamilton would hit 13 home runs in a row without making a single out.
Hamilton’s 20th home run, a mammoth blast to right-center field, was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The ball exploded off of his bat, deep into the night sky and we were certain it had left the park. The measured blast was 518 feet from home plate, or about 600 feet from my perspective.
“That ball’s in Pelham” Chris Berman would say on the ESPN telecast.
“Ham-il-ton, Ham-il-ton,” every person in Yankee Stadium was screaming. It was as surreal a sports moment as I had ever been a part of.
Hamilton would go on to set the single-round record for homers in the Derby, shattering Bobby Abreu’s mark of 24 set three years prior, before popping out to a sarcastic smattering of boos.
After hitting just seven combined home runs in the second round and finals, Hamilton eventually went on to lose to Justin Morneau, who received a hearty Bronx cheer from those in attendance. As Morneau accepted his trophy, the fans filed out of the park, feeling cheated that their new hero hadn’t finished on top.
“We were over there in awe of what he was doing,” Morneau said after the Derby. “He was the one who put on the show tonight. I think everyone will remember Josh Hamilton more than they’ll remember I won. I’m just glad I was a part of the whole thing.”
[Elsewhere: Swing for your Seats is still baseball’s coolest promotion]
Hamilton’s performance that night will be something I remember for the rest of my life, it was a dream come true for a player who had already overcome so much. That night I watched Josh Hamilton write a chapter in his redemption story and captivate the baseball world.
It wasn’t about lamenting wasted talent anymore; it was his own Bronx tale.
COMING SUNDAY: Looking back at Paul Konerko’s memorable grand slam during the 2005 World Series.
PREVIOUSLY IN HOMER HISTORY
– The night a hobbled Kirk Gibson broke my heart (by Mike Oz)
– Cal Ripken Jr. wowed us yet again on Iron Man night (by Lauren Shehadi)
– When Albert Pujols silenced Minute Maid Park (by Jeff Passan)
– Bill Mazeroski’s great walk-off World Series winner (by Kevin Iole)
– The Big Papi grand slam that still haunts Detroit (by Al Toby)
– That time Joe Blanton hit a home run in the World Series (by Sam Cooper)
– When Jim Leyritz halted hopes of a Braves dynasty (by Jay Busbee)
– Bryce Harper and the home run almost no one saw (by Chris Cwik)
– Shane Robinson and the home run on one predicted (by Tim Brown)
– The shot heard ’round the world (by Larry King)
– The night Reggie Jackson became Mr. October (by Scott Pianowski)
– Tony Fernandez’s extra-innings postseason blast (by Joey Gulino)
– Dave Kingman takes one out of Wrigley Field (by Andy Behrens)
– Joe Carter’s blast wins the 1993 World Series (by Greg Wyshynski)
– Todd Helton ignites a historic Rockies run (by Mark Townsend)
– David Eckstein once again does the improbable (by Max Thompson)
– Bob Brenly makes up for four errors with a blast (by Rob Schneider)
– Alex Gordon ties Game 1 of the 2015 World Series (by Nick Bromberg)
– Ryne Sandberg takes Bruce Sutter deep twice (by Kyle Ringo)
– Hank Aaron passes Babe Ruth with No. 715 (by Steve McAllister)
– When Frank Thomas showed his Home Run Derby muscle (by Andreas Hale)
– Steve Finley’s grand slam that did not suck (by Marcus Vanderberg)
– Brian Johnson’s unlikely blast in a pennant race (by Jeff Eisenberg)
– Wily Mo Pena’s blast makes an O’s fan hit rock bottom (by Thomas Sadoski)
– Chris Chambliss sends the Yankees to the Series (by Gary Mondello)
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