It may be one of the showcase events of Major League Baseball's All Star festivities, but the Home Run Derby—airing Monday night on ESPN—has never been one of this sports fan's favorite summer happening. The competition is too bloated, the broadcast is too filled with announcers working the same schtick that grew tiresome a decade ago. Give me the celebrity softball game anytime over the three-hour slog that is the home run derby telecast.
MLB.com Home Run Derby, on the other hand—well, that's a different story. The mobile version of the All Star week event puts you in the batters box, as you swing for the fences in a quest for longball glory.
MLB.com updated the game last week to include this year's participants; a second update was rushed out over the weekend to include Pedro Alvarez of the Pittsburgh Pirates, added late to the real-life contest as an injury replacement. Don't particularly care for any of the 2013 Home Run Derby participants? The game also features players from the three previous years. Competing in the cleats of a real big leaguer adds an element of realism missing from the multitude of other home run-hitting mobile apps, and as fan of stadium architecture, I particularly enjoyed taking my hacks in a smartphone-sized replica of New York's Citi Field.
That's a clown selection, bro—Home Run Derby lets you play as participants in this year's event, including Washington's Bryce Harper.
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