Home Run Derby Tonight DAVID ORTIZ CHAMPION, HANLEY RAMIREZ RUNNER-UP

We kick off the All-Star Game festivities tonight with the State Farm Home Run Derby.

The participants are:

American League

- Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
- David Oritz, Boston Red Sox
- Nick Swisher, New York Yankees
- Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays

National League

- Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers
- Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
- Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
- Chris Young, Arizona Diamondbacks

I'll update the blog through each round, marking down the amount of home runs hit per player and who advances to each round. I'm banking on Miguel Cabrera in the AL and Corey Hart in the NL. Of course I'm pulling for my man Nick Swisher to win the whole thing, but it's probably not going to happen for him. So enjoy the Home Run Derby, it's on ESPN, so channel 36 if you have cablevision.

Strike-Thru indicates eliminated.

Lineup: First Round

1. Chris Young, Diamondbacks: 1 Home Run, First Round
   
2. Vernon Wells, Blue Jays: 2 Home Runs, First Round
   
3. Corey Hart, Brewers: 13 Home Runs, First Round
   
4. Nick Swisher, Yankees: 4 Home Runs, First Round
   
5. Matt Holliday, Cardinals: 5 Home Runs, First Round
   
6. David Ortiz, Red Sox: 8 Home Runs, First Round
   
7. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: 9 Home Runs, First Round
   
8. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: 7 Home Runs, First Round
   

Lineup: Second Round

Home Runs from first round carry on and are added to second round total.

1. David Oritz, Red Sox: 21 total (13 in round)
   
2. Miguel Cabrerea, Tigers: 12 total (5 in round)
   
3. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: 21 total (12 in round)
   
4. Corey Hart, Brewers: 13 total (0 in round)

Lineup: Final Round

Home Runs from previous two rounds erased.

1. David Oritz, Red Sox: 11 Home Runs
   
2. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: 5 Home Runs
   

CHAMPION: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox