Home Run Derby Snoozefest
Posted July 11, 2005, 8:30 PM ET

Major League Baseball displays all of their talent and glitz during their brief stay in Detroit this week.

Monday night's Home Run Derby is a complete bore....not to mention listening all evening to Chris Berman's "back, back, back" garbage on HYPE.

I have a theory on how to spice up the 2006 MLB HR Derby....and it is a simple one: cheat.

That's right, cheat. Allow every contestant a grand total of 5 pitches, but here's the good news....they can bring whatever device they want to the plate.

That includes a corked bat, an aluminum bat, hit off a tee, rubber balls...whatever it takes to hit a baseball further than anybody in the contest.

The object of my HR Derby would be to see just how far the best players in the game could actually hit a ball.

The object is to hit the ball out of the stadium.

Obviously all of these guys can "go yard", but can anybody launch a ball into another zip code?

Plus, the current HR Derby schedule is too long and boring....my contest would be incredible and have people talking about it for years to come. Plus, the players would be creative in their approaches...and they could keep it under wraps until it is time to come to the plate.

I spoke with FOX Sports baseball analyst Kevin Kennedy about my idea and he loved it. Plus he made a great point in the interview by stating that the players get tired with all the hacks in the current HR Derby set-up.

The only reason MLB won't agree to my contest is because it would involve Bud Selig making a decision...and of course, common sense.