Show Guerrero outlasts the rest to win Jake Williams Sports SpOTtS Reporter Some of the biggest sluggers in baseball were on display July 9 for the 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby and Vladimir Guerrero shined the brightest Guerrero right fielder for forthe forthe forthe the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hit three home runs in the championship round to defeat Alex Rios from the Toronto Blue Jays Rios was visibly exhausted during his final round amassing only two home runs Guerrero and Rios each hit in three rounds of I competition The Derby began with eight players slugging it out in the first round The hitters with the top four performances moved on to round two After another round of swinging for the fences the two competitors with the highest sum from the first two rounds qualified for a championship swing- swing off Guerrero and Rios outperformed Colorado left fielder Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols from the St. St Louis Cardinals Holliday and Pujols each hit 13 3 home runs in their two rounds round of action losing out outto outto outto to Guerreros Guerrero's 14 and Rios' Rios 17 long balls The four players eliminated in round one were Justin Prince Fielder and last years year's champion Ryan Howard actually tied Albert Pujols for fourth place in round one but was eliminated after a short swing In addition to winning the Derby championship Guerrero also gets bragging rights for hitting the longest homer of the evening a ft rocket that came in round two Noticeably absent from this years year's Derby were recent headline athletes Barry Bany Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr Both declined offers to compete for personal reasons The Derby and Tuesdays Tuesday's Star All ame were held in San Francisco home of Bonds' Bonds Giants State Farm Fann sponsor of this years year's Derby donated money to charity for every home run hit with only one out remaining for each batter The total amount donated was jake fake edit |