It's always a special event when the best of the best come together for the MLB All-Star Game. The game itself has taken on a new importance ever since the league decided the winning league would get home-field advantage in the World Series. Even with the higher stakes, the game is often overshadowed by the most exciting attraction of the weekend: the Home Run Derby.
There have been plenty of unforgettable moments in the Home Run Derby's history, and we'd like to take a trip down memory lane to remember the top 10.
10. 1993: Ken Griffey Jr. hits the warehouse at Camden Yards!
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv4ASTL9zO4[/embed]
Look for a young Prince Fielder at 0:24 - hilarious!
9. 1991: Cal Ripken Jr. wins the Home Run Derby after hitting 12 home runs with plenty of BOMBS along the way
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AIWuK3HArs[/embed]
Ripken also went on to take home the All-Star Game MVP award - quite the weekend of hardware for the Hall-of-Famer.
8. 1991: Ripken may have won, but Cecil Fielder absolutely obliterated baseballs over the restaurant in the SkyDome
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvwnCUd38bI[/embed]
7. 1992: Kirby Puckett cheers on "Big Mac" Mark McGwire to hit at least 10 home runs
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjdLBFEyAd0[/embed]
What happened with Mr. Puckett is a sad, sad story, but his laugh here was priceless!
6. 1999: Ken Griffey Jr. wins his third Home Run Derby and his second in a row
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJkX-tOnquQ[/embed]
"Jr." is still the only three-time winner of the Home Run Derby.
5. 2002: Sammy Sosa absolutely destroys 12 baseballs in Milwaukee and tells the young and dashing Rich Eisen he 'is not happy with himself'
Watch until the 8:30 mark to enjoy a barrage from Slammin' Sammy Sosa.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC469ISDvKg&t=280[/embed]
4. 2005: Bobby Abreu hits an unheard-of 24 home runs in the first round!
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDIJL3Jdj_I[/embed]
3. 1999: Mark McGwire hits absolute moonshots over the Green Monster at Fenway on his way to 13 homers in the first round
A lot happens here - a kid gets trampled by a cameraman, McGwire unleashes a rowdy crowd waiting behind the Green Monster, Pedro Martinez takes McGwire's bat away from him, and "Big Mac" almost knocks out the lights as he hits one off the light pole.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jbNZQPVtVw[/embed]
2. 2011: A father's dream - Robinson Cano wins the home run derby after hitting 12 home runs in the final round in a derby thanks to pitching from his father Jose
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCI684z0MX8[/embed]
It was honestly tough for me to rank this at No. 2 instead of No. 1 overall. A very special moment for the Cano family and any father and son who were at home watching it.
1. 2008: Josh Hamilton sets an outrageous single-round record with 28 home runs, including 13 in a row!
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-0iwEaxQjI[/embed]
Is there a moment that we left out? Let us know in the comments!
You can catch this year's Home Run Derby action on Monday July 14, 2014 at 8:00 pm ETon ESPN.
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