| Date | July 14, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Yankee Stadium |
| City | The Bronx,New York |
| Winner | Justin Morneau |
The2008 Major League BaseballHome Run Derby (known through sponsorship as theState Farm Home Run Derby) was ahome run hitting contest inMajor League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from theAmerican League andNational League. The derby was held on July 14, 2008, atYankee Stadium inthe Bronx, New York City, the host location of the2008 MLB All-Star Game.ESPN televised the event live at 8:00 PMEDT, withESPN Radio andXM Satellite Radio handling radio broadcasting duties.[1]
Justin Morneau of theMinnesota Twins defeatedJosh Hamilton of theTexas Rangers, 5–3, in the final.[2] In the first round, Hamilton set an MLB record for most home runs in one round of a Derby with 28,[3] hitting 13 of them with eight outs.
The eight participants[1] wereLance Berkman of theHouston Astros,Dan Uggla of theFlorida Marlins,Chase Utley of thePhiladelphia Phillies,Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers,Ryan Braun of theMilwaukee Brewers,Grady Sizemore of theCleveland Indians,Evan Longoria of theTampa Bay Rays, andJustin Morneau of theMinnesota Twins.
Vladimir Guerrero of theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim was originally going to participate to defend his2007 title, but he ultimately declined the invitation in order to spend time with his family.[4][5] Morneau became the first Canadian player to win the derby since its introduction in the 1985 MLB season.
Americanrock band3 Doors Down performed at the beginning of the Derby.[6]
| Player | Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Subtotal | Finals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Morneau | Twins | 8 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 22 |
| Josh Hamilton | Rangers | 28a | 4b | 32 | 3 | 35 |
| Lance Berkman | Astros | 8 | 6 | 14 | – | 14 |
| Ryan Braun | Brewers | 7 | 7 | 14 | – | 14 |
| Dan Uggla | Marlins | 6 | – | 6 | – | 6 |
| Grady Sizemore | Indians | 6 | – | 6 | – | 6 |
| Chase Utley | Phillies | 5 | – | 5 | – | 5 |
| Evan Longoria | Rays | 3 | – | 3 | – | 3 |
Notes:
^a New single round record.
^b Voluntarily ended round with four outs.
10 Home Runs were hit while the Gold Ball (special balls used when the batters have nine outs) was in play, earning $170,000 for theBoys & Girls Clubs of America.