ANAHEIM – There’s a new line-up for the 2010 State Farm Home Run Derby and familiar names like sluggers Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard and Josh Hamilton, who have a combined 80 home runs this season, won’t be in it. But don’t fret, there are plenty of other guys on the roster who can rip the cover off the ball and knock them over the fence.

The show begins Monday night at 8pm on ESPN and first time participants in the contest include Milwaukee Brewers Corey Hart, Arizona Diamondbacks Chris Young, N.Y. Yankees Nick Swisher, Florida Marlins Hanley Ramirez and the Blue Jays Vernon Wells. Rounding out the roster are Matt Holliday, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

Cabrera who returns to the event for the second time and enters the competition second in MLB with 22 round trippers, is many people’s favorite to win, including his teammate, rookie sensation Brennan Boesch who let his pick be known to his local newspaper The Detroit Free Press.

“If Scott Pickens, the batting practice guy, throws strikes, he’ll win. Miggy’s got the most power in baseball, I think. So if he throws strikes, Miguel is going to put on a show, and it will be fun to watch.”

“In the Home Run Derby, you have to be aggressive, because it’s a lot of pressure,” Cabrera said. “It’s different, because you don’t have the batting cage. You have more people see you. But if you get relaxed and put your best swing on the ball, it’s going to be OK.”

Swisher is also feeling some nerves well before the event.

 “It’s going to be a lot of fun and I’m nervous already, but I’m going to go out and have an absolute blast. I’m going to soak up that moment.”

Not in the competition is the MLB leading home run hitter, Blue Jays Jose Bautista who has hit 24 over the fence. Not seeing him in this line-up reminds us that the obvious choices do not always make it to the annual All-Star games.

Adding to the fun of the event, two banners were hung in the outfields and if any player hits those during the competition, Master Card will donate $1 million to charity.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

ST. LOUIS – All the hype and speculation surrounding Matt Holliday’s destination since hitting the MLB free agent market can come to a close.

The 29-year-old slugger signed a 7 year, $120 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, the same team he played for at the end of last season.

“Well, I think first of all going into free agency I had in the back of my mind that I really liked my time in St. Louis and felt it was a good fit for me and my family,” Holliday said when interviewed on a Tuesday ESPN radio show. “At the end of the day we decided that was best for us.”

Holliday, a three-time All Star, joined the Cardinals from Oakland last July and batted .353, sent 13 over the wall and batted in 55 runs in 63 games for St. Louis.

Holliday pulled a bonehead Charlie Brown move during last year’s playoffs when he dropped a routine liner to left field that would have been the final out of Game 2. Instead, his error kept a Dodger rally alive and allowed the Dodgers to coast to a three-game sweep.

Holliday believes his chances of getting to the World Series with the Cardinals is as great as going anywhere else. “Obviously, with Albert Pujols on the team you have a great opportunity to have a great team,” said Holliday. “Albert is the best player in the history of baseball in my mind. Hopefully between the two of us we can help do our part to win a World Series.”

Holliday also reflected on the size of his new contract. “When you’re a little kid growing up hoping to be a professional baseball player and hoping to play in the major leagues, I don’t think you ever think about the money,” Holliday said. “Now that you look at it, it’s a little overwhelming.”

With Pujols also playing with an active contract over $100 million, the Cardinals become only the third team in Major League Baseball to invest in two $100 million players.

The New York Mets’ Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran are $100 million guys and the New York Yankees have four; Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

This week’s Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week goes to the St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox who were all swept right out of the MLB Playoffs.

Many sports fans believe the MLB season is too long so what better way to shorten the season than eliminating almost every team the first week of the playoffs.

The Cards bitch-slap was delivered compliments of the L.A. Dodgers.

After just three games of a five game NL playoff series, the Cards were sent home, tail between their legs, swept by the Dodgers with the final game being a 5-1 loss in front of a sold out silenced crowd at Busch Stadium.

The Cards line-up managed to cross the plate just six times in the entire series; a series that saw a few bounces go the Dodgers’ way.

Like a bitch-slap isn’t enough, in what should have been the final out for a Cardinal victory in Game 2, Cards left fielder Matt Holliday took a direct knock in the nuts when he misjudged a line shot that bounced off his junk, allowing the Dodgers to rally for a comeback win.

That play, reminiscent of Bill Buckner’s infamous miscue, should have been the final out of that contest and would have tied the series one game apiece before heading back to St. Louis.

Instead, the blunder set the stage for the Dodgers’ sweep. To make matters worse, Holliday struggled at the plate batting .167 with only one extra base hit.

Holliday and his Cards do get to share this week’s award with the two other teams who also got the broom; the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox.

That’s a lot of pain to endure . . . maybe Holliday is willing to pass around his ice pack to ease the pain.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax

LOS ANGELES – In his post-game interview St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright explained his team’s 3-2 loss in Game Two of the National League Division Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday’s error on a mishandled fly ball with two outs in the bottom of the ninth led to the Dodgers win and a commanding 2-0 lead over the Cardinals in the series.

And the reason he committed the error according to Wainwright was 50,000+ white towels being waved madly by LA Dodgers fans. The baseball is white and so were the towels. ‘Shouldn’t they be Dodger Blue towels?’ asked Wainwright.

What happened to the mantra about LA fans?

You know, the one that says they arrive late, leave early and want to be seen on camera more than watch the game.

During game one, the TBS announcer remarked that it was the first time he had seen Dodger Stadium full when a game was about to begin. In game two they were all there in the bottom of the ninth and were waving towels.

I’m afraid the reputation of LA fans will never be the same. 2009 will go down in baseball lore as the year that Los Angeles was accepted into the fan-club as a worthy member.

Even Mary Hart of “Entertainment Tonight” fame, with seats directly behind home plate, was standing at the end of the game. Her companion for the game, towel in hand was moving it from side to side.

Is it possible that the rap on LA fans has been wrong or just a gross exaggeration that Mid-Westerners and East Coast folks like to repeat, despite what the truth may be?

Truly a sign of the impending apocalypse.