When Christian Yelich had to pull out of the Home Run Derby with a minor injury, some felt that teammate Mike Moustakas and his 25 home runs were a natural fit. Moustakas has plenty of power, and it would ensure that Milwaukee Brewer fans still had someone to root for in the contest.
Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman got the nod instead, however. It wasn’t because Moustakas wasn’t asked — it was because he declined.
“I just wanted to go and enjoy my time,” Moustakas said, via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “I got to sit there and watch the Home Run Derby with my daughter. I did it in Miami and I felt like one was good for me. It was fun, but it was a lot going on. Everybody in the clubhouse wanted me to do it. It would have been fun, but I didn’t really feel like doing it.”
MLB hoped that adding a $1 million prize would entice more players to participate in the derby, and they got quite the show. However, Moustakas brings up another factor that works against some players participating — if you’re not already an All-Star, you have to cancel a midseason vacation to compete. There are the old worries about messing up a swing, but Moustakas has a relevant point too.
