7:55pm – My favourite to win is Corey Hart, but I think that Miguel Cabrera and David Ortiz will give him a run for his money and if Ramirez can get hot, no one will catch him.

8:00pm – After predictions from Greg Zaun and Joey Votto, the All-Star weekend opens with some Hey, Sister from Train. Ageless wonders? I think so! Doc looks like he’s having a grand old time watching and it’s great to see him at the All-Star game.

8:05pm – Fun start to the weekend and the crowd seemed to enjoy that opening song, announcer reminds us that Young has 15 homeruns this season, no Bautista, but I guess we’ll accept him eh?

8:08pm – Hmmm, fun fact for everyone: Hart’s last homerun, last night and it was a walk-off winner. How about that?

8:12pm – Ceremonial first pitch thrown out by Bo Jackson, MVP of the 1989 All-Star game, throws a high heater and he looks like he’s still got it. Late season signing for the Blue Jays to make a final run at the post-season perhaps?

8:23pm – It’s time for Vernon Wells to show if he’s got what it takes, sitting on 19 home-runs this season, he picks up his first home-run thanks to a fan leaning over and helping him out. He doesn’t pick up another run until he’s on 8 outs, but despite a few close chances he finishes with just two home-runs

8:26pm – That’s right, it took Wells just 3 minutes to crash out of the home-run derby, he wasn’t patient and saw just 18 pitches. I guess that defines the Jay’s season though, rip at the first pitch and hope for the best. I had hoped it would be Jose Bautista in the homerun derby, maybe we’ll see him rips some dingers tomorrow night though

8:30pm – Here comes Corey Hart, who misses his first hit but then knocks out his next five straight hits before picking up his second out. Then settles right back in and knocks out another one to straight away center to take his total to 6-HR’s on three outs, wait make that seven!

8:34pm – Hart can’t stop hitting home-runs, he just hit his 9th home-run for 464 feet, then follows that up with his 10th for 454 feet, wait no, just can’t keep up! He just hit his 11th before I could finish writing that sentence! Saying he’s on fire just doesn’t do him justice… this is wild, Hart is sitting on 12 Homeruns and just six outs.

8:37pm – In just seven minutes Corey Hart has hit 13 home-runs and destroyed the combined three homeruns by Wells and Young. He hit his longest for 464 feet and averaged an astonishing 431 feet… no wonder the guy leads the National League in homeruns this season
9:01pm – Well, it wouldn’t be a homerun derby without a Boston player, and David Ortiz is strutting with confidence up to the batter’s box. Big Papi misses his first hit but then hits his next three out, and picks up a few more to sit on six homeruns after six outs.

9:08pm – Ortiz is still cranking out homeruns, and after hitting eight homeruns in eight outs, he calls over for a drink and a towel. Only Big Papi would do that, what a character! This is what I love about the All-Star game, because you get to see the players relax and just have fun. The Boston slugger finishes with his eighth homerun and sits in second place

9:10pm – The ESPN boys have Will Ferrell down to throw in his 2-cents while Hanley Ramirez steps up for his shot. Ferrell cracks me up, “I was downstairs and saw Hank Aaron Walk by, not sure if you guys have heard of him?” Meanwhile Ramirez quickly cranks his first couple of homeruns before settling into a rhythm, he just doesn’t look like he’s going to stop as he hits five straight homeruns to sit at six dingers after five outs.

9:23pm – Up next is Miguel Cabrera who, the announcers reminder us for the 4,931 time, is leading two of the three Triple Crown categories. Currently Ortiz, Hart and Ramirez are through, with Holliday sitting in fourth with just five homeruns. Cabrera needs just five, misses his first two, and then quickly sends his next four hits out of the park.

9:43pm – David Ortiz is just ripping these balls out of the park, twelve in this round after 7 outs and in the lead with 20 overall. Talk about throwing down the gauntlet to the other three guys, the slugger finishes with thirteen in the round and a two-round total of twenty-one homeruns.

9:44pm – I think that’s what you calling going off? Ortiz just passed Ken Griffey Jr’s record of 70 homeruns in the Homerun Derby and he now sits atop with 75, with a chance to add more if he makes it into the final round

9:46pm – The hottest player in baseball is up, and Miguel Cabrera wastes no time, as he hits the first pitch he sees over the fence. In case you’re wondering, he leads the league with 77 RBIs, a .651 Slugging percentage and a .346 batting average, while tied with 22 homeruns.

10:09pm – Corey Hart now into the batter’s box, but he hasn’t hit in two hours and quickly picks up seven outs without a homerun. Looking dire now, as he’s got two outs to play with and needs at least 8 home runs. Another mishit and he is on his last out of the second round, 8 home runs needed in case you missed that.

10:11pm – It’s a cruel game isn’t it? After an impressive 13 homeruns in the first round, Corey Hart comes back up and drops a goose egg and fails to hit a homerun in the second round. Well, it’ll be veteran slugger David Ortiz and young star Hanley Ramirez going head-to-head for the Homerun Derby title.

Final Round

10:14pm – It’s a battle of age verse youth, flashy shoes verse baggy shirts and the old rivalry of National League against American League. Ortiz is up first, followed by Ramirez.

10:15pm – Experts gave Ortiz the edge as he’s a lefty and he doesn’t let them down, he quickly pops four straight homeruns, duffs his next hit for an out but gets back on a roll and cranks out another four straight homeruns. Wow. This is unbelievable stuff.

10:20pm – Big Papi takes a break and it’s a good time to remember that he’s got the support of Tori Hunter guess he’s got a hometown boost tonight?

10:24pm – While Ortiz cranks his 10th of the round, there’s a touching moment as Ramirez is interviewed and says that the big man is like a father to him and thankful for the mentorship that Big Papi provided when he was in the Redsox minor league system.

10:28pm – What a fantastic display of slugging, Ortiz hits eleven over the fence in the final round and has a total 86 homeruns in the derby, doing the math that’s 16 more than second place all-time Ken Griffey Jr.

10:30 – The fans watch on in anticipation while Hanley Ramirez relaxes and settles into the batter’s box, the youngster needs to hit 11 homeruns to push for a tie-break and anymore than that will see him crowned 2010 homerun Derby Champion. No pressure kid.

10:31 – Hanley Ramirez has a slower start than Ortiz, and picks up two quick outs before hitting his first homerun. Line of the night by the announcer, “How would you like that homerun? I’d like it on the rocks please,” as Ramirez hits the rocks at center field once again.

10:35pm – The Florida Marlin’s player isn’t putting much pressure
on Ortiz, as he sits with four homeruns after five hits but he could get hot at any moment… but Ramirez steps back and takes a break, this time its Ortiz who runs up and brings him a towel, they hug and it’s another classy moment on the night.

10:37pm – Tense moments with Ramirez sitting on 9 outs and just five homeruns, interestingly enough a Boston player has never won the homerun derby, can Ramirez break Boston’s heart on the last ball?

10:39pm – What a story this is, David Ortiz was in the slump of his career to start the season and papers in Boston were asking for the team to release him but fast-for