Braun finishes 2nd in Hurricane's HR derby

[Patrick425]

Hmmm...not sure if I'm a big fan of our star left fielder participating in a pre-Spring Training HR derby:

 

http://www.bradenton.com/miamihurricanes/story/2055476.html

 

Grandal showed his potential when he hit seven home runs in the first round and five in the final round of a home run derby, beating Milwaukee Brewers All-Star and former UM star Ryan Braun, who hit one in the finals.

[logan82]

I am not a big fan of our players participating in this either. Not a big fan of our players participating in winter leagues either except for hitters getting at bats they missed during the season. I really hate pitchers pitching in the offseason.

[sheethead]

The only thing I have a problem with is the fact that he didn't win.

[Tedaldtada]

This is what players do. People need to have fun.

[prophet]

This is what players do. People need to have fun.

Exactly! They're human beings and last I looked, this is still America. Whatever they want to do on they're free time is up to them. And, putting clauses in contracts to dissuade players from doing what they enjoy is ludicrous too. The Brewers take the risk of off-season injury whenever they sign a player to a contract. They shouldn't, and we shouldn't, have the right to tell players how they have to live their lives within the law. It's their choice as human beings and that's the bottom line. Besides, Prince launched a bunch that almost knocked satellites out of orbit at the All-Star game and he had a pretty good second half.

[Patrick425]

This is what players do. People need to have fun.

Exactly! They're human beings and last I looked, this is still America. Whatever they want to do on they're free time is up to them. And, putting clauses in contracts to dissuade players from doing what they enjoy is ludicrous too. The Brewers take the risk of off-season injury whenever they sign a player to a contract. They shouldn't, and we shouldn't, have the right to tell players how they have to live their lives within the law. It's their choice as human beings and that's the bottom line. Besides, Prince launched a bunch that almost knocked satellites out of orbit at the All-Star game and he had a pretty good second half.

If a player is going to get paid milions of dollars a year, i think it's perfectly reasonable to have clauses in contracts for teams to protect their investments. It's really not that unusual or far fetched.

 

[sheethead]

Should he be allowed to drive on the freeway?

[RobDeer 45]

He's not jumping motorcycles over the grand canyon, he's in a home run derby. Come on now.

[Tedaldtada]

I don't think you will find many baseball players with clauses in their contracts that do not allow them to hit a baseball.

 

As far as his performance being effected by participating, really? Is it that he isn't working on his plate discipline instead? Or is it that Braun will become homer crazy?

[dlk9s]

Should he be allowed to drive on the freeway?

Possibly, but he should at least call when he gets home.

[thebruce44]

I think Braun should be kept in cryogenic stasis during the offseason. It is irresponsible of him to age during the offseason and frankly it makes me sick. He should have also been issued safety scissors on draft day and learned all about stranger danger.

[Tedaldtada]

That is the longest blue statement I have ever seen, haha.

 

Braun will be fine. I know he has some back issues, but sometimes you have to let the big dog eat.

[BREWERPRIDE]

I dont think it was his main point guys.

[TooLiveBrew]

When I read the thread title, at first I thought Iribarren had put together a HR contest, which confused me. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[CarRamrod01]

He's not jumping motorcycles over the grand canyon, he's in a home run derby.

Jumping a motorcycle over something is more Jeff Kent's speed, anyway.

[thablingster]

I think it is pretty cool Braun participated in something like this. Participating in a HR derby with a bunch of college kids was probably no different than taking some BP hacks or working in a cage somewhere for him. The risk of injury is essentially the same as an every day activity the Brewers would green light him to partake in. It isn't like he was off playing sand football risking blowing out his entire knee a la Robert Edwards.

[craigharmann]

This is what players do. People need to have fun.

But he's Ryan Braun.....he doesn't come in second.

[snyttri]

Henry Aaron was a frequent contestant on the "Home Run Derby" TV series and he stayed pretty healthy and consistent.

[ILuvDaBush]

I have to agree with those who say this is no big deal. I remember hearing about Braun going to some 90210 star's 21st B-day bash. That is probably worse for his career (shades of the Alcides Escobar espisode spring to mind) than participating in a HR derby where he went "all-out" enough to hit....ONE. Unfortunately, this only reaffirms my belief that Braun derives ALL his power from Prince Fielder. Then again, the fact that of the two HR derbies in which Prince has participated, only one was he accompanied by Braun, does not bode well for the inverse to also be true.

[hawing]

Henry Aaron was a frequent contestant on the "Home Run Derby" TV series and he stayed pretty healthy and consistent.

Those old-school Home Run Derby episodes are a very enjoyable time waster for me. I had no idea (until I checked, just now) that the series was so short-lived and why it ended so abruptly.

[sbrylski]

When I read the thread title, at first I thought Iribarren had put together a HR contest, which confused me. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

Ha! Me too, Conor!

[Patrick425]

Tedaldtada29[/b]]I don't think you will find many baseball players with clauses in their contracts that do not allow them to hit a baseball.

 

As far as his performance being effected by participating, really? Is it that he isn't working on his plate discipline instead? Or is it that Braun will become homer crazy?

I never said that anyone should have a clause in their contract that does not allow them to hit a baseball or participate in a HR derby. I was responding to prophets post that basically stated that clubs should never put any clauses in contracts regarding what players can and can not do in the off season. I don't agree with this. If I have invested millions of dollars in a player, there are certain things (does not necessarily include HR derbys or Winter ball) that I'm not going to want him to do during the off season.

 

As far as HR derby effecting performance. It's well known that there has been some cases that correlate participation in the All Star HR derby to 2nd half drop offs in performance. This is not always the case (see Prince Fielder last year).

 

 

 

 

[CheezWizHed]

Wow! You guys are COMPLETELY missing the point... we need to draft this Grandal kid that beat Braun!

[Funketown]

Wow! You guys are COMPLETELY missing the point... we need to draft this Grandal kid that beat Braun!

Grandal hit 16 HR's in his age 20 season at Miami, while Braun only hit 10. Doing some rough calculations, this guy projects to hit 77.4 HR's over 700 plate appearances in his rookie season!

[joepepsi]

What Braun did isn't nearly as bad as what the Orioles had Brad Bergesen do last December:

http://www.sportingnews.c...urt_filming_a_commercial