Former Toronto Blue Jay Teoscar Hernández wins Home Run Derby at 2024 MLB All Star Game

At Black Maple, we love sports! Whether the camaraderie and discipline of basketball, the grace, precision and teamwork of “the beautiful game” (that’s soccer in Canada), the power and speed of tennis, or the strength and agility of baseball, count us in! That said, it should come as no surprise that we love us some Toronto Blue Jays. In recent years, win or lose, Canada’s only MLB team has delivered exciting, often heart-pounding entertainment and demonstrated a brotherhood, exemplified by their Blue Jacket emblazoned with the words “La Gente Del Barrio”.

So the trades of superstar franchise players like Josh Donaldson (2018), Kevin Pillar (2019), and Teoscar Hernández (2022) have been hard to swallow as the Blue Jays have struggled to rebuild a team that can truly compete in post-season play. But just because these players  moved on to other teams doesn’t mean they’re not still in our hearts.

That’s why we were thrilled to see Hernández amongst the eight players featured in the MLB’s 2024 Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Monday, July 15th. For those who have not been paying attention, the Home Run Derby (inaugurated in 1985) is to the MLB All-Star Game, what the Slam Dunk Contest is to the NBA All-Star Game. Both are competitions within competitions that showcase spectacular skill, focus, precision, power, and incredible athleticism.

To understand how much of a draw these secondary competitions are, you need only realize that they command so much attention that they garner separate corporate sponsorship. This year’s Derby was sponsored by American telecommunications giant T-Mobile.

How does the Derby work? Each player took pitches from a “friendly” pitcher, one who deliberately threw hittable fastballs in the strike zone. In early rounds, each of the eight players either took 40 pitches or hit for 3 minutes, whichever came first. But the finals saw the rules change to 27 pitches or 2 minutes. For those of you who have never picked up a baseball bat, we think it’s important to point out that professional baseball players make hitting look easy. But there ain’t nothing easy about hitting a round ball off of a curved batting surface. Plus the arm, core, and leg strength it takes to hit a baseball the average of 400 feet from home plate out of a MLB ballpark is no joke. We must point out that it’s even harder to do when the ball has movement (think sliders, change-ups, curve balls, and knuckle balls) and is being thrown at you at between 90-100 mph. Say what now?

 

In the final round, Hernández (now of the Los Angeles Dodgers) hit 14 homers compared to 13 from the Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. Even better, at Hernández’s side was his devoted wife Jennifer and his former Blue Jay teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (affectionately known as Vladdy) sporting a Toronto Blue Jays jersey with Hernández #37 emblazoned on the back.

 

Despite Hernández’s departure from the Blue Jays, the profound bond of these superstar athletes was on full display when Hernandez was coached by his former teammate during a timeout in the final round of the competition.

 

We can’t say for sure what wisdom the 2023 Home Run Derby winner Vladdy shared with his country man (they’re both Dominican), but let’s just say when Hernández resumed his batting he hit 5 home runs in 6 swings. Game over!

 

Hernández’s win has even more special significance. Hailing from the land of baseball, the Dominican Republic, Hernández became the seventh Dominican champion of the Home Run Derby. Furthermore, out of the previous 10 Dodgers who have competed in the Derby a total of 13 times, Hernández’s win makes him the first champion from the storied Los Angeles franchise. Even sweeter, before Hernández’s hoisted his new trophy adorned with baseball bats crossed like swords, it was Vladdy who hung the Home Run Derby chain around his neck. Well done Teoscar, we miss you!