Before he accepted an invitation to Monday’s Home Run Derby at Marlins Park in Miami, Dodgers rookie first baseman Cody Bellinger had to make sure his preferred pitcher for the event could get off work.
“If he can’t throw, I won’t do it,” Bellinger said of his father, Clay, a former Yankees infielder who now works as a firefighter in Gilbert, Ariz.
Clay Bellinger will be standing in front of the mound Monday, tossing meatballs to his 21-year-old son, who is one home run off the National League lead with 25 at the all-star break despite spending the first three weeks of the season in the minors.
Cody Bellinger isn’t the first major leaguer to pick his father to throw to him in one of baseball’s best exhibitions. Here’s a look back at the history of father-son duos at the Home Run Derby:
Robinson and Jose Cano
Cano’s father allowed two home runs in 23 innings during his one-year big league career with the Houston Astros in 1989. Lucky for his son, he allowed a lot more in the 2011 Home Run Derby at Arizona’s Chase Field. Second baseman Robinson Cano, then a Yankee, hit 12 home runs in the finals to beat Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez for the title.
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“I don’t want to say that I won the trophy,” Cano said afterward. “I want to say that my dad has won the trophy.”
The Canos teamed up at the Home Run Derby in 2012, 2013 and 2016. Jose Cano also pitched to Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig in the 2014 Home Run Derby.
Bryce and Ron Harper
When Bryce Harper was 10 years old, he promised his dad he’d pick him to be his pitcher if he were ever selected to participate in a Home Run Derby. Ron Harper wasn’t a former major leaguer, but he had thrown “millions” of pitches to the Nationals outfielder in his lifetime, and that was good enough.
“[My dad] wanted to make sure I was comfortable with that, not being able to see him for the past four or five months throwing,” Harper said before competing in his first Home Run Derby. “He just wanted to make sure that’s what I want. But he’s a pretty incredible BP thrower. I just hopes he hits my bat. I’m just trying to go out there, have some fun, and hopefully do what no one else has done.”
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Harper hit 24 homers and finished second to A’s outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who hit 32 home runs off Oakland coach Mike Gallego at New York’s Citi Field.
In 2015, Harper declined an invitation to the Home Run Derby because his dad had recently undergone rotator cuff surgery and was unable to throw to him. He has since said he plans to compete in the 2018 Home Run Derby at Nationals Park, presumably with his dad as his pitcher.
Kris and Mike Bryant
While the Harpers sat out the 2015 Home Run Derby, another father-son duo from Las Vegas participated in the festivities at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark.
“I told him two years ago, I said, ‘Hey, if you ever make it to the big leagues and get in the Home Run Derby, I want to pitch to you,’ ” Mike Bryant, a former Red Sox draft pick, said. “This is just frosting on the cake that he’s in the Home Run Derby and I’m able to pitch to him. I’ll take the chocolate, with the cake being that Kris made the all-star team.”
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Kris Bryant was eliminated in the first round by Albert Pujols. The Cubs third baseman would go on to win National League rookie of the year.
The Bellingers face some stiff competition in their quest to become the first father-son duo to win the Home Run Derby since 2011. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who leads the majors with 30 home runs, and teammate Gary Sánchez will both hit against Yankees batting practice pitcher Danilo Valiente. Hometown favorite Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a record 61 home runs at last year’s derby in San Diego, is bringing back former Marlins coach Pat Shine. Twins infielder Miguel Sanó asked former major leaguer and fellow Dominican Fernando Tatis to be his pitcher.
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