Q&A on the News
Q: Why doesn’t Major League Baseball use a pitching machine for the All-Star Home Run Derby? It seems like it would be more fair than having a coach throw to the batters.
—Susan Patterson, Decatur
A: Home Run Derby participants can pick who they want to pitch to them, so they often choose a relative or a long-time coach or friend who has thrown to them in the past.
MLB spokesman Mike Teevan isn’t “aware of conversations about using a pitching machine in the Home Run Derby,” he told Q&A on the News in an email.
“We believe the participants enjoy having the opportunity to work with a pitcher that they are familiar with and who knows their hitting preferences,” Teevan wrote. “It seems even more important under the new format than the previous one.”
Under the rules adopted in 2015, batters are paired against each other and have four minutes to hit as many home runs as possible.
The winner advances to the next round.
Todd Frazier, who won the 2015 Home Run Derby and finished second in 2014 and this year, has had his brother Charlie pitch to him all three times he’s participated in the contest.
Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton won this year’s Home Run Derby with Marlins coach Pat Shine as his pitcher.
“He was grooving them out there,” Stanton told the Miami Herald. “I don’t think I took more than five balls. He was just as important to this as I was.”
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
