David Ortiz

As the Red Sox No. 1 fan I was obviously enthused to watch as David Ortiz became the first member of the Boston Red Sox to win the Home Run Derby last night; but, truth be told, I was more delighted the rest of the world got to see the vintage “Big Papi” many of us have come to love over the last several years.Sadly, that guy was missing early this year as David struggled for the second straight spring and many supposed fans and baseball writers called for him to be exiled from Boston.

After watching Monday's Home Run Derby, I couldn't help but notice the names on the board just didn't carry the anticipation and ambiance of years gone by.

David Ortiz certainly has his place in history as a clutch power hitter in one of the most storied venues in all of baseball. However, he must have had the same feeling Yao Ming has standing amongst his fellow countrymen.

ANAHEIM--Every time he walked near the dugout finishing his home run round on the nice, breezy summer night at Angel Stadium, the crowds were as wild and terrifying as the craziest attractions at Disneyland.

Most baseball fans believe success in the Home Run Derby translates to a power outage in the second half of the season. Josh Hamilton in 2008 comes to mind, but it would be foolish to make assumptions based on that one particular instance.

To answer this presumption, I tallied the first and second half home run totals of each Home Run Derby winner since 2000. The results may surprise you.

The Home Run Derby is known as a great opening event to the All-Star game, and unfortunately it is losing popularity amongst players.

The reason it is losing popularity is because many players believe that it will affect their swing during the second half of the season. 

I, for some reason find that the excuse of the home run derby affecting a players swing is bogus, and I'll tell you why.

The players are swinging for the fences tonight and the big sticks are getting broken out.

The only things fans aren't real happy about is the fact that besides Matt Holliday, David Ortiz, and Miguel Cabrera, there aren't those big names participating that can put on a show for the fans in Anaheim.

Guys like Chris Young, Vernon Wells, Corey Hart, and Hanley Ramirez don't really make the every day Home Run derby fan stand up and take notice.

So, in case you didn't get a chance to catch it on television, here's a round by round breakdown of how things went tonight and the standout performers.

It wasn’t that long ago when fans wondered if David Ortiz would ever hit another home run. Today, he’s one of the league leaders in the category and is the 2010 Home Run Derby Champion.

Not bad for a guy who hit two dingers combined in the past two Aprils.

Well, it's that time of year again, time for MLB All Star Weekend.  This year, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, (do I really need to say that each time?) play host. 

Following Josh Hamilton's monster performance two years ago (I bet you already forgot that Justin Morneau actually won that Derby), and Prince Fielder's upset of Albert Pujols and St. Louis native Ryan Howard last year on the footsteps of the Gateway Arch, what could be expected for the most installment of the contest?

David Ortiz became the first Boston Red Sox slugger to win the home run derby on Monday night, powering his way past Hanley Ramirez at Angel Stadium.

Ortiz put on a show for the fans from start to finish, and he outlasted his younger competition on his way to the silverware.

Read below to get a blow-by-blow account of the evening's home run derby showdown.

For a one-night event, the Home Run Derby attracts a lot of interest. For that matter, there are many different factors that ultimately affect the outcome of it.

Will there be any new records set in this year's Derby? How many home runs will it take to win it, and who will do so? Will there be another performance reminiscent of Brandon Inge's no-show last year?