It’s been almost 2 months since my last baseball game, and it was great to be on the road again! This was an event I was planning to attend since it was announced, and was one of the most thrilling baseball events I have ever attended. The American Association Of Professional Baseball just hosted their first all star event since the 2019 season, and it was my first home run derby I ever attended. I always heard that a home run derby may not have the most action outside of MLB, but that was proven to be a completely inaccurate statement at this event. It was a very bad day to be a baseball on 7/11/2022 in Rosemont, IL.
I would like to start off by saying, as I have in other posts, that I’m a huge fan of the American Association. I originally became attached to watching baseball in this league early in the 2021 season. The style of the game resembles the way baseball was before all of the rules changes. Most of the players that are signed to affiliated baseball out of this league are usually going to either the AA or AAA level. There are many teams within a reasonable driving distance from me, and I have goals to share more stadiums. The rise in gas prices delayed some of the trips I planned to take, but I’m still planning to attend more stadiums in the 2022 season.
Impact Field is located right next to Chicago O’hare Airport, and airplanes weren’t the only thing flying during this event. The rounds of the home run derby were timed, and the participants tried to hit as many home runs as possible. This format is somewhat new, and I was amazed at the amount of athletic ability on display. There were a total of 208 home runs on the night during the regular rounds, along with two tie-breaker rounds that amounted in even more home runs. In the final round, there were a total of 45 home runs.
In the final round, I though Jabari Henry of the Sioux Falls Canaries would be going home with the trophy. He had a total of 56 home runs on the night, and would put together a streak of home runs. 22 of those home runs were hit in the final round. However, David Thompson of the Kansas City Monarchs would become the winner after hitting 23 home runs in the final round, and walking it off. Jabari Henry would end up becoming the All Star Game MVP after hitting a go ahead 3 run home run in the 9th inning on Tuesday night. If you’re ever considering going to an all star event and find this post, I would highly recommend attending. A home run derby is a change of pace, and the all star week is all about fun! The American Association did an amazing job putting the all star event together for the fans.
This was my second visit to Impact Field, and I highly recommend catching a Chicago Dogs game. This stadium is only a few years old, and looks like a stadium you would see at the AA level. It’s located about 20 minutes away from Wrigley Field, so it’s perfect, along with other American Association and Frontier League stadiums in the Chicagoland area to attend games at.
As always I’ll have all of the photos below this post from the event. Be on the look out during the week of the Field Of Dreams Game, as I’ll be attending the Quad Cities River Bandits vs Cedar Rapids Kernels game!
AP Ballparks 