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Prince Fielder made a splash at the All-Star Home Run Derby. Eight of them.
The Detroit slugger joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win multiple titles, thrilling the crowd at Kauffman Stadium with several shots into the right-field fountain and beating Toronto’s Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final Monday night.
“Just being mentioned with him is real special” – said Fielder, who spent time at Griffey’s house when he was a kid. “My dad would let me go over and play video games all day. He always took care of me when I was a kid.”
On a night when the Yankees’ Robinson Cano was repeatedly booed and went homerless, Fielder put on the most powerful display among baseball’s big boppers. Winner at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium three years ago, Fielder had a total of 28 home runs over three rounds to cap the main event on the eve of the All-Star game. He hit the four longest drives of the night, including a pair at 476 feet.
“They were far” – he said. “That’s not easy to hit it out there.”
While the ball stayed out of McCovey Cove during the 2007 Derby at San Francisco’s AT&T Park and the right-field swimming pool last year at Chase Field in Phoenix, there was plenty of aquatic activity in Kansas City, second only to Rome for most fountains in cities around the world.

Prince Fielder.

There must be something about Prince Fielder and competing in the Home Run Derby in Missouri.
Fielder launched 28 home runs Monday night at Kauffman Stadium to win his second Home Run Derby in the past four years. The first came in 2009 across the state in St. Louis.
The Detroit slugger became the second player in Derby history to win multiple times, joining three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr. But he’s the first player to win a title in both leagues, having won his first as a Milwaukee Brewer.
“It means a lot because being mentioned with Ken is real special” – Fielder said. “As a kid, like my kids, he was the first person with the NBA Jam arcade in his house, so my dad would let me go over there and play video games all day and he always took care of me when I was a kid. To be mentioned with him was real special.”
Fielder (the first Detroit Tiger to win the event) beat Toronto’s Jose Bautista by a 12-7 margin in the final round. After sneaking into the second round with the fourth-best score of just five in round one, the left-handed-hitting slugger hit 23 home runs the next two rounds.
It was the second win in four Home Run Derby appearances for Fielder.
“It’s fun” – Fielder said. “Especially because my kids are out there and they are having a blast. Anytime you see your kids having a good time, you enjoy it as well. I’m just happy that I am healthy and able to be here.
“If I’m invited, I’ll keep doing it. They are a lot of fun.”

Defending champion Robinson Cano is also out after failing to hit a single homer. Jose Bautista leads the first round with 11.
Hey, at least Matt Kemp didn’t aggravate his hamstring.
Otherwise, Kemp looked a lot like someone who hasn’t played a major league game since May during Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.
While the Angels’ Mark Trumbo was advancing to the semifinals with seven homers, Kemp hit only one. Last year he hit two.
Doubt the Dodgers were too upset that Kemp, on the disabled list with a strained hamstring, was eliminated in the first round. Kemp, scheduled to be activated Friday when the Dodgers resume the second half of the season, looked a bit embarrassed at his performance.
Kemp was elected to start in Tuesday’s All-Star game but will not play because of the hamstring. At least he could blame his disappointing performance Monday on being a tad rusty.
Trumbo went fourth of the eight hitters and looked a tad tight early on. Guess there is some difference between the contest here and in the Texas League.
But Trumbo calmed down and racked up seven homers, and he wasn’t exactly shortchanged on any of them. His seven homers averaged 426 feet. Including a line drive off the brick wall beyond center and a drive that went off a roof beyond right field.
Also advancing to the semifinals were Toronto’s Juan Bautista with a first-round high of 11, St. Louis’ Carlos Beltran with seven and Detroit’s Prince Fielder, who snuck in with five.
The highlight for the hometown crowd was the final batter, the Yankees’ Robinson Cano, who did not manage to hit a single homer. He became the fifth hitter in the competition’s history to bagel.
Cano (the defending champion) had miffed the locals by not including the Royals’ Billy Butler on his American League team. He was booed all night, and then cheered with each of the 10 outs he made. When he was done, he got a standing ovation.