Home Run Derby in Philly: Schwarber comes up just short; Netflix broadcast criticized; one less trade option for the Phillies

Willson Contreras last ball at the second round of the Home Run Derby might as well have been the last out of the ninth inning of game seven of the World Series.

The crowd at Citizen Bank were locked in during the Red Sox first baseman head to head competition against Kyle Schwarber for a place in the final round.

Every shallow or foul ball was as met with mocking applauds, and every skipped pitch with roaring boos.

Kyle Schwarber will face Jordan Walker in the final round of the Home Run Derby.

Willson Contreras, booed often by the Philly crowd, was only able to hit 8 home runs, one shy of Schwarber's nine.

Two Phillies players have won the Derby — Bobby Abreu in 2005 and Ryan Howard in 2006.

Fans who traveled to Philadelphia for the Home Run Derby were introduced early to the city’s love language. 

Phillies fans responded with deafening boos to the name of every player that isn’t called Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber during the pregame show. 

And fans of other teams seem to like the passion.

The negotiations are over and the state budget is done — so Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is enjoying a change of pace at Citizen Bank Park.

The Democrat is in Philadelphia for the MLB Home Run Derby, the latest major sporting event Pennsylvania has hosted this year, following the NFL draft in Pittsburg and FIFA World Cup games in Philly. And the state’s second top executive has been proud.

“Pennsylvania this year really showed how diverse and how great our commonwealth is,” Davis said. “I think we absolutely rolled out the red carpet to welcome the country and the world.”

You can cross at least one name off the Phillies list of potential acquisitions at the trade deadline.

Before Monday’s Home Run Derby, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton made it clear that he would not consider waiving his no-trade clause even for a trade to a contender.

The 32-year-old center fielder has long been mentioned as an ideal trade target for a Phillies team that is in desperate need of right-handed pop. He certainly brings that in abundance, and at a premium position, with 25 home runs in 335 plate appearances thus far this season. But Buxton has been steadfast in his loyalty both to the state of Minnesota and to the organization that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2012.

Kevin McGonigle idolized Chase Utley, went to Phillies games with his buddies, and had posters on the wall of his Delaware County bedroom.

“I still have a Cole Hamels poster on my wall,” McGonigle said on the eve of playing in Tuesday’s All Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies could have drafted McGonigle in 2023. They scouted him at Bonner-Prendergast, worked him out at the ballpark, and were well aware of the infielder from Ridley who grew up a diehard. But the Phillies passed on McGonigle and drafted Aidan Miller with the 27th overall pick while McGonigle went No. 37 to Detroit.

Bryce Harper does not take batting practice outside often, as he prefers to finetune his swing before games in the ballpark’s indoor batting cages. But when he does swing outside, he acts like he’s in a Home Run Derby.

“When I go out for BP, I want to launch,” Harper said Monday, a few hours before he’ll take part in the derby at Citizens Bank Park. “That’s the only time I go out there, is to launch and feel that.”

Harper said he has hit batting practice homers at Citizens Bank Park into the third deck in right field and onto Ashburn Alley. So the Alley is in play on Tuesday?

Patrons of Sarcone’s Bakery — the 108-year-old South Philadelphia staple — are accustomed to seeing familiar faces behind the counter. On Monday, guests were served by a new member of the Sarcone’s family: Chase Utley.

The Phillies legend helped serve tomato pie to fans lined up around the corner as a part of the bakery’s partnership with sports apparel company ’47. The two companies teamed up to host a pop-up inside the bakery. Guests who purchased food received an exclusive Sarcone’s T-shirt and hat, produced by ’47.

After Utley finished up behind Sarcone's counter, The Inquirer caught up with the former second baseman, who will be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame next month ...

Phillies outfield Bryce Harper was the latest Philly star to pitch NBA free agent and future Hall of Famer LeBron James on the idea of bringing his talents to South Philly, joining Saquon Barkley, Jaylen Brown, and others.

So what is Harper's elevator pitch?

"Jaylen Brown, their whole team," he told the media Monday. "They've got an opportunity. They've got four guys that are really good, got a great fan base."

Phillies fans — and former players — aren't alone in wondering why starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, who delivered another gem on Sunday against the Tigers, wasn't among the players initially selected to represent the National League at this year's MLB All-Star Game in home ballpark.

Braves starter Chris Sale, a 10-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner, said Monday during media day at Citizens Bank Park that the decision not to pick Wheeler, who ultimately turned down a last-minute invite from MLB, was a "head-scratcher, to say the least."

While the 37-year-old Sale is having a All-Star season — 9-6 with a 2.20 ERA, 1.112 WHIP, and 4.68 strikeout/walk ratio — Wheeler has indeed been better, posting a 2.13 ERA, 0.892 WHIP, and a 4.91 SO/BB ratio.

Bryce Harper's night may be booked with the Home Run Derby, but the Phillies first baseman spent some time earlier on Monday meeting and taking pictures with fans at an Under Armour pop-up event in Center City.

The company announced on Instagram that Harper, Bobby Witt Jr., and Juan Soto would be making an appearance at the Under Armour Dugout at 1190 Market Street to meet fans. By the time the event got underway around 11:30 a.m., the line extended down the city block.

Harper set up in the batting cage simulation area, and even tossed a few balls to young fans as they took reps swinging a bat.

Take me out to the gift shop.

The MLB All-Star Game has become a temporary retail city built around exclusivity, collectibility, and host-city pride. Fanatics’ 16,000-square-foot flagship at the ticketed All-Star Village at the Convention Center carries more than 400 product styles, while Aramark’s 7,500-square-foot ballpark store (open to the public without a ticket) offers about 400 All-Star items, roughly 75% exclusive.

Across the ballpark, All-Star Village, and MLB’s online stores, fans can choose from about 600 products, from the wild (there’s a sports jacket covered in the logos of all 30 teams) to the Philly-themed (‘47 Sports “Hit That Jawn” T-shirt) to the routine (Foocoos mini bobblehead figures sold in blind boxes) to genuine objets d'art (original 3D pop-art posters by artist Charles Fazzino. And T-shirts and hats and jerseys, of course.

Bryce Harper, the Phillies All-Star first basemen, claimed on Monday that he was unknowingly working on behalf of FanDuel when he recorded a personalized video for a man with a gambling addiction who had placed millions of dollars in bets on the site.

Harper said on his verified Instagram account that he had joined the messaging site Cameo to engage with fans with paid videos but that “what happened here went beyond anything I knew about or approved.”

“I did not know this video would be used for commercial purposes,” Harper wrote. “The request included a short script. I read it in good faith. FanDuel then put its own logo on the video and used it as a gambling promotion. I did not know FanDuel would do this, I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had no right to do it.”

Twenty years ago, Ryan Howard launched baseballs into the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh and won MLB’s annual Home Run Derby.

In some ways, it launched his career.

Howard was the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2005. But his star turn at the 2006 Derby came in the midst of a season in which he won NL MVP and became the foremost power hitter in the sport for a six-year stretch.

One of Philadelphia’s signature sandwiches is heading back to Citizens Bank Park after a decade away.

The Schmitter, the classic cheesesteak-salami creation from McNally’s Tavern in Chestnut Hill, will return during the forthcoming Major League Baseball All-Star festivities, Aramark announced as it unveiled a lineup of foods and merchandise at the ballpark Wednesday.

The Schmitter, which has a spot on The Inquirer’s list of 76 essential foods, will be served at Pass & Stow, the sports bar accessible to ticketed fans, throughout All-Star Week. Aramark, the Phillies’ concessionaire, plans to keep it on the ballpark menu through at least the end of the season.

The Phillies haven’t had a Home Run Derby champion since 2006, when Ryan Howard blasted 23 total to take the crown.

This year, at Monday’s competition at Citizens Bank Park, they will have double the chance. Because for the first time in the 41-year history of the Derby, the Phillies have a pair of teammates competing against each other. Kyle Schwarber announced Friday that he would officially be joining Bryce Harper in the event.

“I just wanted to make sure pretty much getting through that series in Cincinnati, make sure everything was good healthwise, and everything’s been trending the right way. So that’s when we pretty much made a decision to do it,” Schwarber said.

For the first time in more than 30 years, the Home Run Derby has a new broadcast home, and it won't appear on either broadcast or cable TV.

Instead, it will stream exclusively on Netflix beginning at 8 p.m. Philly time as part of a three-year deal that also included MLB’s opening night back in March and next month’s Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa between the Phillies and Minnesota Twins. 

Calling all the action will be Matt Vasgersian, with Elle Duncan and Lauren Shehadi also leading the coverage. Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Anthony Rizzo, CC Sabathia, and former Phillies outfielder Hunter Pence will also provide analysis. 

This year’s Derby has a different format that previous years.

For starters, there won’t be a timer. Instead, each slugger will get a set number of swings each round — 20 in the first round and 15 in both the second and final rounds.

The last Derby without a clock was 2014.

On Monday, Independence Mall will see road closures starting at 5 a.m. to accommodate building out the MLB Red Carpet Show. Set to be in place through midnight, those closures will impact:

Independence Mall will remain tied up Tuesday for the MLB Red Carpet show itself, with closures again in place from 5 a.m. to midnight. Those closures will affect:

Philadelphia police, the city said, may institute additional closures in the interest of public safety.