Philly fans are gonna Philly fan.
With home-team heroes Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper participating in Monday’s MLB Home Run Derby, fans at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park turned one of baseball’s biggest celebrations into a boo-fest.
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The jeers, of course, were aimed at players not named Schwarber or Harper. They started early, as evidenced during pre-Derby introductions by legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer.
Here’s Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, for example.
Harper didn’t advance out of the first round. But Schwarber did. And he found himself in a battle with Boston Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras to advance out of the second round to the finals.
Schwarber put up a nine-spot as the number for Contreras to beat as the final batter of the second round. As Contreras caught fire with a string of deep bombs to threaten Schwarber’s spot in the final, Philadelphia had no interest in cheering him on.
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The boos poured down from the stands.
Conteras ultimately fell one home run short of tying Schwarber, ensuring Schwarber’s spot in the final. Contreras, to his credit, brushed off the boos like a champ while putting on a show that came up just short.
Boos don’t deter Derby champ Jordan Walker
Schwarber then went first in the final round and set the number to beat at 11. That set up St. Louis Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker to face the boos. And face the boos, he did.
Walker, a first-time All-Star at 24 years old, showed no signs at the plate of being impacted by the jeers, which reached a crescendo after Walker tied Schwarber with five straight home runs.
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He silenced them with his sixth straight blast on his final at-bat to secure the Home Run Derby crown in dramatic, walk-off fashion.
At that point, the boos subsided to a few reluctant cheers and quickly to silence. The upset win spoiled the celebration in Philadelphia and sent Phillies fans home disappointed.
