ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Adam Wainwright was not selected to this year's MLB All-Star Game as one of the National Leagues' best pitchers. But the St. Louis Cardinals starter hopes he'll be part of All-Star Weekend in another role – the Home Run Derby.
Wainwright, who was set to start Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs that was rained out, tweeted "I am officially announcing my availability for the HR Derby."
The 39-year-old may not have hit any homers yet in 2021, but he does have the second-most career home runs among active pitchers. His 10 trail only Madison Bumgarner with 19.
In the tweet, Waino mentioned his poor offensive stats this year – just one hit in 30 at bats – but his batting practice skills are still elite, he says. The "#5:00hero" is in reference to what time he and other pitchers typically take batting practice before games they aren't pitching in. In a normal 7 p.m. game, he takes the cage around 5 p.m.
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And apparently, the fans down the left field line know all about his "pop."
There's almost no chance that Wainwright will be added to the Home Run Derby competition that begins at 7 p.m. in Denver tonight with the HRD defending champion Pete Alonso of the Mets, the Rangers’ Joey Gallo, the Orioles’ Trey Mancini, the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, the A’s Matt Olson, the Royals’ Salvador Perez, the Nationals’ Juan Soto and the Rockies’ Trevor Story.
But we still always get a kick out of Waino's self confidence. And so did these people who replied on Twitter:
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