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Getting Into… FTX MLB Home Run Derby X
Everything you need to know about the electrifying new baseball format coming to Crystal Palace Park on 09 July
FTX MLB Home Run Derby X is a brand new sporting hybrid event that promises to be a format of baseball like other. Kicking off in London on 9 July, FTX MLB HRDX will then travel to Seoul and Mexico City.
With Home Runs, epic catches, live music, interactive baseball activities and lip-smacking food, MLB legend Nick Swisher (NY Yankees, Chicago White Socks and Atlanta Braves to name a few), could not be more excited. “You don’t need to know everything about the game, you just need to come and enjoy yourself for the afternoon. I’ll be at the front gate high fiving everyone coming in!”
“It’s inclusive and we love being able to bring everybody into this world”, he tells us. “I love the game of baseball and I want to help grow the game and I want to be a part of moving the sport forward so for someone like me, being able to experience this in all sorts of places across the world, who wouldn’t want to jump on that sort of trip?”
If that’s caught your attention, here’s everything you need to know ahead of its debut in London.
The Baseball
FTX MLB Home Run Derby X is a brand new format devised to excite the non-baseball fans as much as its devout followers, designed to have loads of points on offer and concentrate on the electrifying home runs (or impressive catches) we all want to see. So the field is a lot smaller than in traditional baseball, with teams going head-to-head for points. There’ll be five players to a team (four batters and one pitcher), with each batter having one at-bat with 25 pitches.
If it wasn’t obvious by now, the batters will try to score a Home Run (a might strike that allows them to run past each base and return to the home plate). One of those will earn the team a point, but a catch will give the defence a point. There’ll be extra points to be won for Target Hits, hitting beyond the fence, and Hot Streaks.
There’ll be a leaderboard collecting all the teams’ points as they continue on the tour ahead of the knockout final.
The Teams
There’ll be four teams on the 2022 FTX MLB Home Run Derby X tour, each of whom represent major league baseball: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Each team will have five players: an MLB Legend (MLB star hitters, including Jonny Gomez and Nick Swisher); a Pitcher; a Superstar (a decorated player from woman’s baseball and softball, including Paige Halstead and Ashton Lansdell); a Rookie (some of the hottest up-and-comers); and a Wild Card (high profile influencers and content creators, from the likes of Spencer Owen to Liv Cooke).
The Music
To accompany the thrill of the games, North London’s multi-platinum grime star AJ Tracey will top the musical bill as he performs live on the main stage, with more acts to be announced nearer the time. Fittingly, his latest single ‘Seoul’ happens to be the next destination on the FTX MLB HRDX tour.
The Food
There’ll be no going hungry here, from the MLB themed pizzas from The Dough Lads (it’s surely got to be the Chi-Town Pie) to some fine dining spice from Gourmet Chicken. Also on offer is American style fried chicken from Firequacker, or a proper English brekkie from Top Dog. “Ballpark food is unlike anything else”, says Swisher. “So, ladies and gentlemen, bring your appetites because we got some amazing food for y’all for sure.”
FTX MLB Home Run Derby X takes place on Saturday 9 July at Crystal Palace Park. Tickets are available here.
