Tejada Catches Fire in Houston- Home Runs Just Aren’t What They Used to Be

We were treated to quite a show on Monday night during the Home Run Derby. Miguel Tejada, the smallest guy in the competition, blew everyone out of the water. In the second round, Tejada had 15 home runs. This mark set the all-time record for most home runs ever in a single round. This record seems to be broken almost every year. In an era where it is becoming increasingly easier to hit a home run, records tumble every season. It’s only a matter of time before Bonds passes Hank Aaron’s all-time mark. 80 home runs? 200 RBIs? It may not be long before these seemingly unattainable numbers are achieved during a single season.Let’s take a quick glance at the 1996 season…Brady Anderson came out of nowhere to hit 50 home runs. 50 home runs from a guy that never had more than 24 home runs before or after that. How on Earth did he do it? Did he use steroid during that magical season? Did he just get lucky? We may never know, but during that season he finished only a mere 2 home runs behind Mark McGuire. The same McGuire that finished his career with 583 home runs. Somehow Anderson, a mediocre player at best, managed to go toe to toe for one season with the man who is currently in 6th place all-time for home runs. This is a clear indicator that in this day and age, it is not out of the question for any major league player to put up a ridiculous amount of home runs in one season.

But is 50 home runs in one season still a lot? Let’s take at look at 2003. No one hit 50 home runs. 2002? 2 players, A-Rod and Jim Thome hit 50. But these guys are always right around there. They’re special players. So then it would appear that 50 home runs can still be considered a significant accomplishment. But does anyone remember Brady Anderson? Not really. He had one incredible season, and that’s it. His only legacy is the horrible sideburns he used to wear during his career.

Enough about the past already, let’s go back to the present. Fans just want to see home runs. And they certainly saw many Monday night. Miguel Tejada put on quite the show. So did Lance Berkman. Berkman had 10 home runs in the second round. Going before Tejada, Berkman hit tape-measure shot after tape-measure shot, to the delight of his home-town crowd. But up came Miguel. He wasn’t hitting them as far, but he wasn’t getting any outs. He was unbelievable. For what seemed like 30 minutes, Tejada was knocking pitch after pitch into the stands. 15 home runs later, he finally got out number 10. The final round lacked the flare of the second round, but Tejada took care of business, easily defeating Berkman.

Throughout the contest, ESPN brought some of the all-time greats into the announcing booth: Reggie Jackson, Hank Aaron, and Frank Robinson to name a few. It was great to hear from these living legends, but their appearances added even more time to the Derby. It felt like sitting through an actual 9 inning game. Commercial break after commercial break. Interludes in between each round. It was an exhausting affair to sit through. But hey we got to see another record fall. How long will the 15 home run mark last? Maybe a few more All-Star breaks, if Tejada is lucky. But for now, the record belongs to him. He outslugged everyone, including 3 members of the 500 club, Sosa, Bonds, and Palmeiro. The little big man bested his bigger and stronger competitors. I wonder if anyone thinks this guy is on the juice…