Opinion Corner: Derby needs a cause

Talk about it

Come Monday night, eight of the biggest home run threats in the baseball will take to Kansas City’s Kaufman Stadium and attempt to launch as many balls deep into the waterfalls as they can.

Beginning in 2003, Major League Baseball has awarded home field advantage in the World Series to the winner of the All-Star Game. Why not put something at stake for the derby?

Robinson Cano of the Yankees and the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp. Each captain selected three other players to challenge the opposing league.

But more should come from this event than a trophy that resembles a pair of rabbit ears for an ancient TV set.

Since 2005, State Farm has raised $1,689,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America by donating a certain amount for each home run.

That’s well and good, but how much money did LeBron James raise for the BGCA with his decision on where his talents would be taken, try $6 million.

The Home Run Derby can do better than James holding a one-man group-think on how great he is.

It’s good to see the derby’s major sponsor doing something, but more needs to be done. Something should be at stake here.

The captain of the losing league derby team should pick another group of big leaguers to build a home for Habitat for Humanity. Or, those players on the losing team each pick their own team and go out and build homes, or just pay them to build it for them, heaven’s knows they got the cash.

Or how about for every home run a player hits that team must donate (with the help of their club) 100 pounds of food to a local food pantry.

If a player goes off knocking out 35 home runs like Josh Hamilton in 2008, then they better bring a semi, because that’s close to well more than a ton of chow, to a very worthy and needy cause, I might add.

Nothing against the BGCA, but there are plenty of other charities out there that could use the help.

Step up to the plate baseball and really hit one out of the park.

Rodgers is a news writer at the Jamestown Sun

Tags: sports, baseball