Where the MLB Home Run Derby Got Its Start

At this year’s Major League Baseball game, the annual Home Run Derby was held, and this season’s winner was Teoscar Hernandez, centerfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers who prior to the derby had slugged out 19 home runs during the regular season.

Bobby Witt Jr., shortstop for the Kansas City Royals finished second. Hernandez’s final numbers were 49 home runs hit averaging 429.6 fee per round tripper. The All-Star game Home Run Derby began in 1985 when at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minnesota, former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and then representing the Cincinnati Reds in ’85 Dave Parker emerged as the home run king in the contest. Four players finished second and they were Jim Rice, Eddie Murray, Carlton Fisk, and Ryne Sandberg.

The contest has continued every year since except for 1988 when it was rained out in Cincinnati and in 2020 due to Covid. I’m sure there are fans that are unaware that the home run derby dates to 1960. The Home Run Derby was a television series that ran for 26 episodes that year and was played out only for that season. All the contests were held at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

The players that competed were some of the best major leaguers of that era. 19 players in all. 19 great players. The 19 were Hank Aaron, Bob Allison, Ernie Banks, Ken Boyer, Bob Cerv, Rocky Colavito, Gil Hodges, Jackie Jense, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Jim Lemon, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Matthews, Willie Mays, Wally Post, Frank Robinson, Duke Snider, Dick Stuart, Gus Triandos. Some of these players can now be found in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Of the 26 episodes, Hammerin’ Hank Aaron appeared in the show the most times, seven in all. He won each of those contests except one finishing with a 6- record while smacking 34 round trippers. Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle played in the second most with five and Mays won three of the five. Mantle sported a 4-1 record. Mantle hit the most home runs of any of the players for the entire series with 44 while Mays hit 35. 
Today’s annual derby does not follow the same rules the derby of 1960 used. Players in 1960 had nine innings with three outs just like the actual game. An out constituted a ball that did not result in a home run, or the batter being called out on strikes. Fences were placed just 340 feet away and right field only 339 feet. Can you imagine those distances today? The balls would be flying over fences. However, from center field to the right field foul pole had a fence in place. Any ball hit into the seats in right center field was a home run, but balls hit to straightaway right field had to clear the inner fence and outfield wall for it to be a home run. If not, it was an out.

When two players were competing, one would bat the other sit with the announcer for an interview. The announcer was Mark Scott. An interesting fact about these events in 1960 is that baseball’s batting gloves were not a popular item back then thus players would show up wearing golf gloves. Some of the other names involved were Tom Saffell who served as a pitcher and played in the MLB. Catching was John VanOrnum who played minor league ball but never made it to the majors but did get there as a coach with the San Franciso Giants. Umpiring was Art Passarella.

As a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, our only representative was Dick Stuart better known as “Dr. Strangeglove.” Stuart appeared in three home run derbies and hit 21 home runs. The Washington Senators represented the most players with three. They were Bob Allison, Harmon Kellebrew, and Jim Lemon. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves each had two (Hank Aaron, Eddie Matthews for Milwaukee, Gil Hodges, and Duke Snider for the Dodgers). The remaining teams that had players compete were The Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City A’s, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates, and the Baltimore Orioles.

When Jackie Jensen went up against Ernie Banks (“Mr. Cub”), the duo hit the most home runs for one episode, 25 in all. Meanwhile, Hank Aaron vs. Duke Snider, two great long ball hitters, resulted in just four dingers. Now, something to make you say “hmmm.” Hank Aaron in this old home run derby contest earned an extra $13,500. Duke Snider, Al Kaline, and Gus Triandos each won $1,000. In this year’s Home Run Derby the winner, Teoscar Hernandez put an extra $1 million in his wallet. Runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. took home $750,000. As the big money winner, Aaron won six of this seven appearances. Rocky Colavito and Jim Lemon appeared twice and lost both.

Any player that hit three consecutive home runs would receive a bonus of $500. Hit four in a row and he pocketed $1,000. If by chance they kept the streak going each home run would net another $1,000. Jackie Jensen became the only participant to hit four consecutive round trippers and would get to five in a row this on the final episode of the series.

Announcer Mark Scott called the home runs for the entire series but on July 13, 1960, at the tender age of 45, Scott suffered a fatal heart attack. The producers of the show were not interested in replacing him and subsequently cancelled the show. Tragically, the director of Home Run Derby, Benhamin Stoloff also passed away that same year on September 8.

So, while the current version of the Home Run Derby has all the glitz and glamour, it also has some black eyes. This year’s derby was marred by the confession of the singer for the anthem to introduce the competition when Ingrid Andress admitted she was drunk while singing the song. The video appears below and aside from Rosanne Barr’s performance long ago singing the anthem, this is absolutely the worst and most embarrassing anthem I’ve ever heard. Absolutely pathetic.

As for the Home Run Derby, here is an excerpt from that show of 1960: