Opinion

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.

Before I begin with the grades, allow me to say this: Had I decided to write this article right after that 7-4 debacle against the Tigers on Saturday to continue their slide, I would have given every Twin an F, and then lit my laptop on fire. Luckily, the Twins won on Sunday, and I have had an additional day to cool off, so my grades will be (more) objective. The only other thing to keep in mind is that grades are partially based off of expectations, since not every player is created equal. Alright, let's get started.

For me the home run derby has always been viewed the same way I view horse racing - I can see why people enjoy it, but it's just not for me.

Sure as a baseball fan I don't mind seeing sluggers blast home runs to eager fans. And watching the kids in the outfield bowl over each other in a battle of "which lanky kid will jump in front of a girl this time" is mildly entertaining.

However, after the second or third "back back back" from Chris Berman I'm usualy gone gone gone.

The MLB has many players from all positions who deserve awards like the Cy Young, the MVP, The Rookie of the year, and the manager of the year. In this list I will say what players will get the mid season awards.

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If the pattern holds, then every five years the Chicago White Sox General Manager/Manager combination of Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen will put together a great team and make a run at the World Series.

Because they did it in 2005, and they've done it again in 2010.

Daniel Nava? Darnell McDonald? Felix Doubront? Household names all, thanks to a wild and bizarre first half of the season that has seen the Boston Red Sox go from floundering to flying to floundering again.

It's always fun to imagine the best athletes in the world playing a sport other than their own. Bo Jackson is arguably the greatest athlete to have ever accomplished this feat in two professional leagues.

Even Michael Jordan (pictured) tried his luck with baseball for a couple seasons in the prime of his basketball career.

With the Home Run Derby taking place tonight, there are several star athletes today who could probably compete with baseball's best.

Here are the top 10 non-baseball athletes who could compete with the likes of Miguel Cabrera and Corey Hart in the Home Run Derby.

The Oakland A's have had an up-and-down season so far.

They were in first place in the American League West at the beginning of June.

At the All-Star Break the A's are now 43-46 and seven-and-a-half games out of first place and three games out of second.

Now is time to take a look at the grades for each player the A's have had at the break. I'll start with the infield, then outfielders, relievers, and then the starters for the A's.

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The first half of Baseball is done and the defending World Series Champion New York Yankees are sitting on top of the very competitive American League East with an uncomfortable two-game lead.

The Yankees (56-32) are just edging the Tampa Bay Rays (54-34), General Hospital a.k.a. the Boston Red Sox (there is no need to mention the other two).

In Anaheim, cubs owner Tom Ricketts said he fully supports GM Jim Hendry, though he stopped short of guaranteeing Hendry job security.

According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, Ricketts had this to say:

"The fact is right now, Jim is our general manager, I support him, I think he does a great job, and after that we'll just take it one day at a time," the chairman said.