Every year MLB tries to hype their annual home run derby, but it never fails that I am left unimpressed when it is over. Yes it is great to see players smack a ball farther than you can imagine is possible, but it still is not the spectacle that a MLB's skill competition could be.
I propose a change to the skill competition. Let's expand the competition to included three other events and form teams of four players. Instead of just a power hitting competition let's bring in a couple other aspects of the game of baseball. First, we add in a base stealing competition. Runners get an equal lead from first, take off from second and have to slide and stay on the base. Each competitor gets and elapsed time and this brings speed in to the skills contest. Whatever that elapsed time is we subtract from the number of home runs that team hit.
Next we place a player in center field and put a target at home plate. If a player hits the center they get a score of 5 and the further away from center the lower the points. This score is then added on to our previous total from the speed and power competition.
Finally, we have a catcher receive a ball at home, pop up and fire at a target at second base. Catchers get point for accuracy in hitting the target at second base just like the outfield throw and they get a time from when they receive the ball to when it hits the target. That time is subtracted from their overall points similarly to the speed competition.
What an event this would be and a true display of more skills then just being able to hit a ball a long way.
I propose a change to the skill competition. Let's expand the competition to included three other events and form teams of four players. Instead of just a power hitting competition let's bring in a couple other aspects of the game of baseball. First, we add in a base stealing competition. Runners get an equal lead from first, take off from second and have to slide and stay on the base. Each competitor gets and elapsed time and this brings speed in to the skills contest. Whatever that elapsed time is we subtract from the number of home runs that team hit.
Next we place a player in center field and put a target at home plate. If a player hits the center they get a score of 5 and the further away from center the lower the points. This score is then added on to our previous total from the speed and power competition.
Finally, we have a catcher receive a ball at home, pop up and fire at a target at second base. Catchers get point for accuracy in hitting the target at second base just like the outfield throw and they get a time from when they receive the ball to when it hits the target. That time is subtracted from their overall points similarly to the speed competition.
What an event this would be and a true display of more skills then just being able to hit a ball a long way.
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