Shots in Home Run Derby tough to gauge
Break out the slide rule, it’s Home Run Derby time.
Baseball’s annual swing-from-the- heels extravaganza takes place tonight at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, with David Ortiz, Ryan Howard and friends sure to launch plenty of crowd-pleasing shots.
Tracking tape-measure drives, however, takes more than a tape measure. It can involve a little higher math, along with studious eyeballing and a tolerance for criticism.
Just ask Leigh Tobin. Every time Howard launches a pitch into the stratosphere at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, she knows exactly what’s coming.
Was it 450 feet? Or 470? Or maybe 500?
Tobin, the media relations director for the Phillies, consults her chart and gives out the distance.
“It’s the bane of my existence,” Tobin said of the chart – little more than a list of sections with their distances from home plate. “Well, it’s not exasperation at the chart, it’s exasperation that people think you can give them an exact figure.”
To get her distances, Tobin follows the path of the ball to its landing spot, then, using the chart provided by the stadium’s architects, she finds the corresponding section. Then comes the subjective part. Was it a line drive or fly ball? Or maybe a high fly ball? The chart gives distance figures for each.
“I was good at math, but this is ridiculous,” Tobin said.
The Pirates will employ the same system to track the homers in the Home Run Derby.
The longest homer in the short history of PNC Park is 484 feet by Sammy Sosa in 2002. Only Daryle Ward has reached the Allegheny River on the fly – about 450 feet from home plate beyond the right-field fence.
Myers expected to return
Phillies pitcher Brett Myers is expected to rejoin the team Friday in San Francisco after taking a leave of absence following his arrest on charges that he hit his wife in the face.
Myers, the team’s best starter, was placed on the temporary inactive list and optioned to Class-A Clearwater after he pleaded not guilty to assault charges.
A decision regarding when Myers will return will be made at a later date.
Myers was arguing with his wife shortly after midnight on a Boston street corner, according to a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Police responded to a 911 call and found Myers’ wife crying and with a swollen face.
Millwood throwing again
Kevin Millwood threw an extended bullpen session in his first time throwing off a mound in a week, and will pitch in the Texas Rangers’ second game after the All-Star break.
Millwood (8-5, 4.83 ERA) strained his right biceps in his last start, July 2 against Houston. The Rangers skipped the right-hander’s turn in the rotation Friday to give him some extra time to recover.
Prior to miss start
Chicago Cubs right-hander Mark Prior was a late scratch from Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers because of a strained muscle on his left side.
Prior has struggled with injuries this season, opening the year on the 60-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder.
Capuano on All-Star roster
Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano was a last-minute addition to the N.L. All-Star team, replacing New York Mets left- hander Tom Glavine.
This will be his first All-Star game.
Indians sign young Aussie
The Cleveland Indians signed shortstop Jason Smit, who at 16 is a member of the Australian Junior National Team.
He is headed to The Gulf Coast League, where the Tribe sends its high school seniors and youngest Latin players to begin their professional careers. But even those players are a year or two older than Smit, who will report to spring training next March before the Indians’ decide which minor-league club he will join.
Futures Game big for Royals
A pair of Kansas City Royals’ prospects, Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, led the United States to an 8-5 victory over the World team in the eighth annual showcase for top minor leaguers.
Butler hit a two-run homer and singled to earn MVP honors. Gordon added two RBIs.