The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE 2021 Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise featured new team and individual champions as the event overcame inclement weather concerns and made a successful return to the shores of The Bahamas.

Kansas City Royals prospect MJ Melendez was crowned the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby King after he defeated defending champion Lewis Brinson and home favourite Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr in the finals at the Atlantis resort.

Melendez, the No.4 prospect in the Royals organisation, hit seven home runs on just 10 swings in the final round.

“I was coming down here to have some fun, to be able to hang out with some of the best players in professional baseball, just to learn, to get to know some people that I haven’t quite met yet and it’s been an amazing experience,” he said.

“Really the goal was to have a good time, not just to win but to have a good time, but since I’m here in The Bahamas, why not do my best.”

Melendez dominated at the plate last season and his 41 homers led all of minor league baseball. He hit .285 and 28 home runs with the Northwest Arkansas

Naturals and advanced to the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers where he became a teammate of Lucius Fox and added 13 home runs on a .293 average.

Many pundits expect him to make his Major League debut this season. Previous winners of the event include Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays and Lewis Brinson.

“I definitely hope to continue that trend, for years to come hopefully everyone that follows has that same exact path,” Melendez said of the big league success of past derby winners.

“I told Lu [Lucius Fox] it doesn’t matter how many days it is, what events you have, I’m here. All you’ve got to do is call. I love The Bahamas and those guys have put on a really great event.”

The main event of the week got off to a late start and the event suffered another rain delay midway through the first round. When competition resumed, the remainder of the participants in the first round had their swings shortened from 15 to eight in the interest of time.

Event organisers Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox fielded opposing teams composed of local and visiting players from various levels of baseball including independent leagues, the minor leagues and the MLB.

Team Isaacs won the overall team title.

Isaacs’ included several first time local participants including the most recent members of the last international signing and MLB draft class. BJ Murray (Chicago Cubs), Kristin Munroe (Los Angeles Angels), Andre Arthur (Miami Marlins), Adari Grant (St. Louis Cardinals) and Steven Adderley (Miami Marlins) all made their derby debut.

The team also included minor leaguers Everette Cooper (Houston Cougars), Trent Deveaux (Los Angeles Angels) and Davonn Mackey (Oakland Athletics). The 2019 Don’t Blink champion, Lewis Brinson, highlighted the international group for Team Isaacs that also included Will Benson (Cleveland Guardians), Dom Smith (New York Mets), Richie Palacios (Cleveland Guardians), Josh Palacios (Toronto Blue Jays), Christian Koss (Colorado Rockies), Nick Gordon (Minnesota Twins), and Mason Wynn (St. Louis Cardinals).

“It was fun, we had a good time,” Brinson said. “I didn’t think we were going to be able to get it in, great event as usual and we’re going to be back next year.”

The local prospects for Team Fox was headlined by Chisholm, the first overall pick in the draft.

Other local Team Fox prospects included Warren Saunders (New York Mets), Ian Lewis (Miami Marlins), D’Shawn Knowles (Los Angeles Angels), Keithron Moss (Texas Rangers), DJ Collie (Webber University), Ellison Hanna (Hood College - Assistant Coach), D’Vaughn Knowles (New York Yankees), James Rolle (Baltimore Orioles) and Dax Stubbs (Baltimore Orioles)

The international players from Team Fox were headlined by Melendez and also included Akil Baddoo (Detroit TIgers), Marcus Wilson (Seattle Mariners), Justin Wylie (New Jersey Jackals), Dalton Combs (New Jersey Jackals), Khalil Lee (New York Mets),

After several years of involvement, the Atlantis resort came on board as the title sponsor as the event returned from a brief hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19.

The first three editions were hosted at the Montagu foreshore as the unique concept continues to showcase the natural aesthetic of the Bahamas and the country’s young baseball talent.

“Our goal of the event is to always use this as a platform to highlight our Bahamian baseball players, our Bahamian athletes, and just show what the Bahamas consists of - our natural beauty and these beaches. We have the best beaches in the world,” Isaacs said.

“Being a baseball player, you wanted to really bring the two elements together. The most exciting part of the game, the home run, and then the most beautiful part of us being from The Bahamas, the beaches.

“So we decided to do something extremely crazy. Set up a stage and hit balls into the water.”

Traditionally hosted in early January, the derby has grown in stature to be showcased prominently by several international media outlets, including the MLB Network, and features both minor and major league prospects from around the league.

In addition to the derby, this year’s event has expanded to include a week-long schedule of activities. The first was a new initiative, a Celebrity Softball game featuring local artists, athletes, and influencers playing alongside the visiting players at Paradise Harbour at the Atlantis resort.

Team Isaacs took a 17-15 win over Team Fox to conclude a fun-filled night highlighted by home runs into the ocean.

The following morning, the group hosted their annual kids’ clinic, also at Paradise Harbour, for scores of aspiring student-athletes.

Clinic participants were drilled at various skill positions, including hitting, fielding, pitching and base running.

“Doing this for the kids, having guys from the major leagues and minor leagues that they watch on TV here present for them to see them, take pictures with them, ask them questions - it’s something we never had.

“It’s special,” Isaacs said.

“We’re just proud to make this event successful for them. It just showed the other kids behind me that it’s possible...hopefully I can make it to the big leagues and inspire the kids even more.”

Community outreach efforts like the kid’s camp remain a mandate of the group for the further development of the next generation of baseball players.

“I just want baseball to grow in the Bahamas. Over the years they’ve been talking about the Dominican Republic and all these Latin American countries, but I know we have the talent. If I can do my part to help the young guys be better than us then I will do just that. It’s never selfish when it comes to us, we just look forward to breaking down as many doors as possible,” Fox said.

“Our whole goal was just to inspire as many kids as possible. We decided to bring it back to help those kids and also to give the Bahamian people something to enjoy. We always encourage everyone to come out and workout with the pros, interact with them and learn as much as you can. It will certainly be a fun-filled experience. We just wanted to do something for the Bahamian people. The kids are the future, we know that they’re the future, we take it upon ourselves to help them every chance we get.”

Following the camp, Chisholm hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for planned renovations of the Pinewood Gardens baseball fields in conjunction with representatives from his agency - RocNation Sports, International Elite Baseball Academy, Bahamas Baseball Association executives, and the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture.

Friday featured another new addition to the schedule, the inaugural Don’t Blink Golf Invitational at the Ocean Club Golf Course.