In previous years, I’ve been more excited about watching the MLB home run derby more than the actual All-Star game, despite having to put up with Chris Berman for two and a half hours. After reading the line up over the weekend, I struggled to become enthusiastic about it this season and after watching the second half of it, I guess I didn’t miss much.

Depending champ Prince Fielder opted not to take the field last night and instead a line up that included guys like Matt Holliday, Corey Hart, Chris Young, Nick Swisher and Vernon Wells. Not exactly a big group of MLB power hitters.

My real issue with the home run derby though was the conversation both before and after David Ortiz took home the trophy over young Marlins slugger Hanley Ramirez. Ortiz turned into this great come back story, a guy that was “finished” at the beginning of this season and here he is winning the MLB home run derby at the mid-way point of the season. Give me a break. It hasn’t even been a year since David Ortiz name was leaked on a 2003 list of MLB steroid users, yet here we are in July of 2010 talking about how Ortiz’s story is “good for Major League Baseball.”

What isn’t good for baseball? How about breaking a 100 year curse by winning the 2004 World Series led by a guy who cheated his way through baseball. What’s the point in even having these guy’s names come out if they’re going to become fan heroes by ESPN 11 months later?

I hope you didn’t waste your time with this year’s home run derby. Now the celebrity softball game with play by play from Gary Thorne…well that’s another story.