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Updated: July 14, 5:00 PM ET Giambi seeks to defend HR Derby crown ESPN.com news services |
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CHICAGO -- Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees will look to defend his title Monday night at the Home Run Derby on All-Star Workout Day.
Giambi, in the midst of a torrid stretch after a slow start, joined Toronto's Carlos Delgado, Anahiem's Garret Anderson and Seattle's Bret Boone on the American League squad. The National League squad features a pair of St. Louis Cardinals outfielders, Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols, with Atlanta's Gary Sheffield and Milwaukee's Richie Sexson. The Yankees' most productive power hitter, Giambi crushed Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa in last year's finals. In 2001, he put on an awesome power display at Safeco Field before losing in the second round in a competition won by Gonzalez. Sosa was not selected to the All-Star team in his hometown and major-league home run leader Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants has said he will skip this year's event. Earlier this week, when asked why he won't participate in the derby, Bonds said, "Because I'm a grown man and I don't have to do it.'' "Did Michael Jordan play in the slamfest every year?'' the San Francisco star said. "Nobody asked him why. I'm 30-something years old. They didn't even ask me. Go ahead and get mad at me. Say what you want, but no.'' Delgado has been the American League's most productive hitter before the break while Boone and Anderson are two of the more underrated power hitters in the game. Pujols and Edmonds have been key contributors to one of the baseball's top offenses. Pujols is making a run at the Triple Crown while Edmonds has one of the sweetest swings in the game. Sheffield, who has rebounded from a sub-par year by his standards, has keyed the surprisingly prolific offense of the Braves, who are threatening to run away with the National League East. Information from SportsTicker was used in this report. |
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