Homer king Abreu starts off hot, never cools down
DETROIT -- Bobby Abreu won the Home Run Derby with a record-setting performance Monday night, hitting an astounding 24 homers in his first turn at bat before outslugging hometown favorite Ivan Rodriguez in the finals.
Abreu also smashed the mark for total homers with 41, besting Miguel Tejada's 2004 total of 27 by the second round. He hit 11 in the finals, another derby record, to Rodriguez's five in an event that lasted 3 hours, 3 minutes.
"I'm tired," Abreu said. "This is a beautiful night."
The Philadelphia Phillies right fielder was the first contestant -- he also will hit leadoff for the National League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night -- and he gave fans a spectacular show right from the start.
Abreu homered on his first swing and didn't stop until he obliterated Tejada's previous mark of 15 homers in a round, set last year in Houston.
"Pretty sick," Boston's Johnny Damon said.
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| The Venezuelan flag unfurls in honor of Home Run Derby champ Bobby Abreu. (AP) |
It was the third-longest drive in the 20 times the derby has been held, behind Sammy Sosa's 524-foot homer in 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee and Frank Thomas' 519-footer in 1994 at old Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Abreu even chipped his bat on his 21st homer -- but the ball still cleared the center-field fence.
"See that? Hit it too hard," he said before Phillies teammate Jimmy Rollins brought him some new lumber.
Abreu went the other way to left-center for No. 24, then finally made his 10th out after 17 minutes at the plate, ending his turn and prompting a third standing ovation.
"Just trying to put on a good show. They enjoy it, that's what it's all about," he said.
So much for spacious Comerica Park being a poor site for a power-hitting contest. In fact, the ball carried very well to right field on a pleasant, 78-degree night.
