The MLB Home Run Derby should take on the format of the FSL (minus the secondary fence). The Florida State League gave each participant 3 minutes to hit as many as possible. I would recommend 2 minutes personally. It did however give fans a fast dose of HRs going over the fence and some type of climax as they watched the time run down. I was told it made the derby go faster and kept fans more engaged. Watch the 2014 FSL HR Derby video below. I think the format change works even at the MLB level.

Thanks for the link. Talk about the 'quick pitch.' One thing the rapid fire does is make the batter work for those HR's, instead of just teeing off. I think that would be a good change to the format.

However, I still like Kaplan's idea of adding competition for base-running (speed) and throwing from the OF (arm) to show off a couple of the tools of which the players are evaluated. IMO that would add interest and variety to the event that could expand both player involvement and fan interest. Certainly would for me.

The issue is that ESPN has 3 hours of tme to fill. MLB wants to have them pay for for that time. So what do you do with that 3 hours? I believe job 1 is to say thanks for the memories, or nightmares, Chris Berman. Beyond that they tried this bracket thing and it didn' tquite work. But how about multiple brackets? Pitchers, Utility Players, Retired guys. (Thome, McGwire, Bonds, Griffey.) Go WWE Meets the Running Man on it. Think juiced balls and metal bats. Capes, tights, and masks might be much...but maybe not? Get Mean Gene to do interviews where they trash talk each other and smash the Baseball Tonight set to pieces. Bring back A-Rod in a black mask and allow him to hit. It's just TV. Make it a spectacle. Keep them all in a cage in Centerfield and have them run in to fireworks and head pounding music. Tag team it. Put Yankees against Red Sox and the loser has to give up a World Series Trophy to the other. Would it have anything to do with baseball, no. But it doesn't now.