Former Mallard Pete Alonso Wins the MLB Home Run Derby, NWL Announces 2019 All-Star Home Run Derby Participants
July 9, 2019 - Northwoods League (Northwoods) News Release
Rochester, Minn. - Former Madison Mallard Pete Alonso defeated Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. to win the 2019 MLB Home Run Derby by a score of 23-22. Alonso beat Indians' hometown hero Carlos Santana, 13-12, and Ronald Acuña Jr., 20-19 in the first two rounds. Alonso, a rookie for the Mets, currently has 30 home runs at the break. Former Logger Matt Chapman put up a solid home run total but was beat by Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. in the first round. Chapman, who currently has 21 home runs on the season had 13 home runs to Guerrero's 29.
In 2014 with the Mallards, Alonso hit 18 home runs and was also a mid-season All-Star. In the fourth inning of the 2014 All-Star game hosted by the Lakeshore Chinooks, Wisconsin Rapids shortstop Zack Domingues drew a walk with one out. 2019 MLB All-Star Paul DeJong an alum of the Wisconsin Woodchucks singled to bring Alonso to the plate. Alonso then proceeded to hit a three-run home run to left center field, and the South had a 3-0 lead and went on to win the game. Alonso was selected as the MVP of the game.
"I knew he was going to throw me a fastball, it's a showcase-type deal," Alonso said at the time. "I just tried to catch some barrel on the ball and not ground into a double-play...and the ball traveled for me." The right-handed hitter praised the league for this experience. "Being in the dugout with a Hall of Famer (Robin Yount) was really special...and it was like a big-league atmosphere," he also said.
On the heels of the MLB Home Run Derby, the Northwoods League has announced the participants for the 2019 NWL All-Star Game Home Run Derby which will take place before the Northwoods League All-Star Game in Waterloo, Iowa on Tuesday, July 16 at 7:05 p.m. (CST). Nine participants from both the Great Lakes and Great Plains Divisions have been chosen for the event which will feature a nine-inning competition between the two divisions.
Home Run Derby Participants
Great Lakes HR Great Plains HR
Drew Benefield Madison Mallards 9 Ryan Holgate La Crosse Loggers 8
Justice Bigbie Madison Mallards 9 Tristan Peterson Rochester Honkers 6
Byron Murray Wisconsin Woodchucks 6 Patrick Ferguson Waterloo Bucks 6
Jake Dunham Wisconsin Rapids Rafters 4 Justin King Willmar Stingers 5
Brandon Seltzer Wisconsin Woodchucks 5 Josh Elvir Mankato MoonDogs 5
T.J. Reeves Wisconsin Woodchucks 5 Ryan Wrobleski Rochester Honkers 4
Andrew Morrow Traverse City Pit Spitters 5 Jake Engel Thunder Bay Border Cats 4
Joe Mason Green Bay Booyah 4 Stephen Baughan Bismarck Larks 4
Andrew Bullock Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 3 Garett Delano St. Cloud Rox 3
The Great Lakes team is led by Drew Benefield (University of Louisville) and Justice Bigbie (Western Carolina University) of the Madison Mallards. Benefield has nine home runs and 26 RBI in 37 games for the Mallards while Bigbie has also hit nine home runs, driven in 45 runs and is currently hitting .357 over 40 games.
The team from the Great Plains features Ryan Holgate (University of Arizona) of the La Crosse Loggers and Patrick Ferguson (Kent State University) of the hometown Waterloo Bucks. Over 33 games, Holgate has eight home runs and has scored 23 runs while driving in 36. Ferguson has six home runs in 39 games and has driven in 27.
The format for the Home Run Derby is below:
1. There will be 9 innings with each player having one half inning.
2. Away team (Great Lakes) player bats first in the top of the inning, and home team player next (Great Plains) in the bottom half of the inning.
3. Each player will have one half inning at bat that will consist of 6 outs
4. The player with the most home runs at the end of the 9 innings, will be the Home Run Derby Winner
5. The team (Great Lakes or Great Plains) with the most home runs will be announced as the winner of the team competition.
Northwoods League Stories from July 9, 2019
- Rivets Can't Crack Kalamazoo, Lose 4th Straight - Rockford Rivets
- MoonDogs Take Game One, 8th Total, from Larks on Tuesday - Mankato MoonDogs
- Pit Spitters Blank Kingfish 3-0 - Kenosha Kingfish
- St. Cloud Falls Just Short to Rochester at the Rock Pile - St. Cloud Rox
- Stingers Out-Hit Huskies 13-4 - Duluth Huskies
- Rafters Shut out Dock Spiders to Close Road Trip - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Early Scoring Affair Results in Woodchucks Tight Loss against Lakeshore - Wausau Woodchucks
- Dock Spiders Blanked by Rafters - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Bombers Drop Decision to Jackrabbits - Battle Creek Battle Jacks
- Pit Spitters Throw Combined One-Hit Shutout in Opener - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Ferguson to Represent Bucks in Home Run Derby - Waterloo Bucks
- Pit Spitters to Visit Local Businesses - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Rafters Wrap up Road Trip in Fond Du Lac - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Mallards Open Three Game Home Stand against Unfamiliar Opponent - Madison Mallards
- A History of Frank Wade Municipal Stadium - Duluth Huskies
- Pitching Powers Loggers Past Waterloo 8-1 - La Crosse Loggers
- Former Mallard Pete Alonso Wins the MLB Home Run Derby, NWL Announces 2019 All-Star Home Run Derby Participants - Northwoods
- Home Runs Lift Chinooks Over Bombers - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Bombers Split Season Series with Chinooks - Battle Creek Battle Jacks
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