Today's winners in Stats & Analytics:
David Ortiz, Jim LemonToday's losers:
The Home Run Derby "curse"OK, let's put this to rest for good. There is no Home Run Derby curse. Yes, in 2005, Bobby Abreu smashed a record 41 batting-practice pitches over the wall at Comerica Park, then hit just six homers in real life over the second half of the season. The next year, after David Wright finished second in the Derby, he went through an awful power outage once he was back with the Mets, triggering a squawkathon that still hasn't ended among the New York media. Various analysts, including a few who should know better, have seriously questioned whether the Derby has a negative effect on its participants.
