2019 MWBL CHRISTMAS CLASSIC HOME RUN DERBY

Detroit Michigan – The Mid-West Baseball League Christmas Classic was played the day after Christmas 12/26/2019.   Comerica Park with unreasonable nice weather for this time of year. Capacity 38,362 patrons made their way in for the Mid-West Baseball League annual Christmas Classic.  This year’s weather was 54 degrees mostly cloudy with a humidity of 88% & the winds blowing in at 15 MPH.   A nice day for the 2019 MWBL Christmas Classic, & the first one played in a cold-weather park.   It was not a hitter’s dream, but it would play out into a nice Christmas Classic for all involved.

The cast of the 2019 Christmas Classic can be found here. This would be a great show for the fans & give great exposure to the league itself.  A perfect way to showcase some of the league’s best bats.

Round #1 was solid as the top four players belted out a total of 31 Home Runs.   The six participants who didn’t make the Semi-Final Round combined to hit a total of 22 Home Runs.   Some former Christmas Classic Champions didn’t fair to well as (2017 Christmas Classic Champion) Khris Davis only managed to hit 5 in Round #1 & Nelson Cruz (2016 Christmas Classic Champion) only his 2 Long Balls.   Manny Machado,  Nolan Arendao both had 2 in Round #1, & Francisco Lindor in his 1st Christmas Classic fell to the pressure and only managed 1 Home Run. 

J.D. Martinez managed 9 in the 1st round.  Miguel Andujar & Mike Moustakas both launched 8 & Cody Bellinger squeaked in with 6 as the last man in & making it to the Semi-Final Round.

The Semi-Final Round would see two of these four (Martinez, Moustakas, Bellinger & Andujar) fall off the board & move two of the four on to the Finals.   Cody Bellinger was first up & tired early getting only 2 over the fence.   Bellinger was disappointed but summed up his experience by saying “When I was coming up, I just wanted to play baseball and I’m doing what I love to do most – how can I feel pressure doing what I love – this was a great experience for me“.   Miguel Andujar was up 2nd & put up a 5-spot walked away feeling confident that he could move on & said “Sometimes when the pencil breaks you just gotta scribble with the nibble” as he busted out in a smile from ear to ear.   Nelson Cruz also busted up laughing at Andujar’s statement.

Mike Moustakas made a good showing and ended up with 7 bombs and knew from that point on he was going to the Finals.  Moustakas said, “Even a hungry turtle can do jumping jacks“.   J.D. Martinez launched 7 Dingers in the Semi-Finals as well and was happy to move on saying “Sometimes you gotta dance with the pants you wore to prom“.

The Finals were started off by Moustakas who was super tired and could only muster up 2 Home runs.   J.D. Martinez came up 2nd and knocked out 1 more than Moustakas making J.D. Martinez the 2019 Mid-West Baseball League Christmas Classic Home Run Derby Champion.

Moustakas was quoted saying this about J.D. Martinez “It doesn’t matter how much jelly you have in your jar, it’s about how you spread it on your english muffin“. 

Martinez was very happy with his experience & had much to say at the press conference after the event.  “Hitting Home Runs for me is kinda like Flippin Pancakes.  Ever since I got here on Christmas Eve, I’ve been kinda like the energizer bunny.  I knew when I hit the 3rd one in the finals it looked good like Wham Bam Can of Ham & I flipped my bat away & threw my arms in the air knowing I was the 2019 Mid-West Baseball League Christmas Classic Home Run Derby Champion!”.  

The Christmas Classic Rules are posted here.