The Home Run Derby.

I'm against it.

I think it mis-represents the game by putting undue emphasis on one particular scoring play in the otherwise quintessential TEAM game. Granted, it's a crowd pleaser and there are those who would argue that 'a big audience' is good for the game. Not in this day and age when a "big" audience is within every sport/activity's grasp.

Aside from the nature of pro sports itself, I am also uncomfortable with the excessive exploitation of athletes who are having 'peak experiences' in their athletic careers and are expected to parade this personal experience in front of the world. Not to mention the psycho-physiological damage of trying to 'swat cookies out of the park'. It has no real relationship to the actual game experience of the home run. It's eye candy.

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