MILWAUKEE BREWERS

From an 0-fer to victory, a look at the 12 other times a Brewers player competed in the Home Run Derby

JR Radcliffe
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
National League's Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers holds his trophy after winning the MLB baseball Home Run Derby in St. Louis, Monday, July 13, 2009.

Christian Yelich has confirmed that he will participate in the 2019 home run derby in Cleveland next Monday, making it two straight years that a Brewers player has taken part.

Cue the consternation about it potentially "ruining his swing." It won't. The slight dropoff in second-half homer production from derby participants is right in line with leaguewide dropoffs. But let's digress.

Last year, Jesus Aguilar became the first Brewers participant since 2011, and he was actually given the "top seed" in the head-to-head format.

A look back at past performances in the showcase from Milwaukee:

Greg Vaughn, 1996 

Greg Vaughn was the first Brewers player to compete in a Home Run Derby during All-Star weekend.

Vaughn hit zero homers, though he famously had food poisoning and didn't play in the actual All-Star Game, either, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Jeromy Burnitz, 1999

Milwaukee Brewers' Jeromy Burnitz follows through on one of six home runs during the first round of the All-Star hitting contest at Boston's Fenway Park Monday, July 12, 1999.

Burnitz had a huge All-Star weekend in Boston. He was selected as an injury replacement to start the game. Then, after Pedro Martinez faced the minimum over six batters (with four strikeouts, a batter reaching on an error and a double play), Burnitz doubled off David Cone in the third and scored the National League's first run of the game.

He also won the National League portion of the Home Run Derby, topping Mark McGwire in the second round. But he fell to Ken Griffey Jr. in the final, with a total homer count of 16 to 14.

Richie Sexson, 2002

Riche Sexson with the third of 6 home runs in the first round.The Home Run Derby was held at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Monday, July 8th, 2002.

Competing in his back yard at Miller Park, Sexson worked out of the first round with six homers and finished with 10 total, but he lost to Sammy Sosa in the semifinals, 5-4. Jason Giambi went on to beat Sosa for the title.

Richie Sexson, 2003

Richie Sexson watches one of his balls during the home run derby Monday at US Cellular Field in Chicago.

Sexson's follow up at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago was not as fruitful, with only one home run. He did not make it out of the first round.

Carlos Lee, 2005

Brewers All-Star Carlos Lee swings during the 2005 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby at Comerica Park on July 11, 2005 in Detroit, Michigan.

In Detroit, Lee belted 11 first-round home runs in a format that pitted players from different countries against each other (Lee represented Panama). That put him in the second round, where he hit four more and did not make it to the finals. Bobby Abreu went nuts that year, finishing with 41 home runs while second place posted 20.

Prince Fielder, 2007

Milwaukee Brewers' Prince Fielder hits during the All-Star Home Run Derby in San Francisco, Monday, July 9, 2007.

Competing at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Fielder hit three home runs in the first round and did not make it to the next round.

Ryan Braun, 2008

Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers hits during the 2008 MLB All-Star State Farm Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium on July 14, 2008 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

Braun's seven home runs at Yankee Stadium put him into the second round, and he added seven more in the second round but fell short of the finals. Justin Morneau won that year, though Josh Hamilton stole the show with 28 homers in the first round alone and 35 total (but Morneau won in the finals, 5-3).

Prince Fielder, 2009

Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers holds up his championship trophy after winning the MLB baseball Home Run Derby in St. Louis, Monday, July 13, 2009.

Triumph! The lone Brewers victory in the All-Star Game came when Fielder socked a total of 23 homers at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Fielder matched Nelson Cruz with 11 first-round homers, then worked into the finals with six more in the second for a total of 17. He beat Cruz in the finals, 6-5.

Corey Hart, 2010

Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers swings the bat during the first round of the 2010 State Farm Home Run Derby during All-Star Weekend at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 12, 2010 in Anaheim, California (image used in newsprint layout).

At Angels Stadium in Anaheim, Hart had the biggest first round in the field with 13 bombs, but he went 0-fer in the second round and missed the finals. 

Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks, 2011

National League All-Star Prince Fielder hits a three-run home run in the fourth inning of the 82nd MLB All-Star Game at Chase Field on July 12, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona.

At Chase Field in Phoenix, Fielder was named "captain" of the Derby team and had the option to pick others from the NL for his roster. He selected his good friend and teammate, Weeks, to the chagrin of the Arizona fans who wanted to see their own Justin Upton. It was a simmering issue all the way through the playoffs, when Milwaukee topped Arizona in the National League Division Series. 

Weeks finished with just three first-round homers. Fielder had five and advanced to the second round in a swing-off, where he posted another five. But he didn't make the finals after adding another four in the second round.

Fielder, however, got the last laugh when he homered in the All-Star game itself and was named the game's MVP.

Jesus Aguilar, 2018

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar (24) swings during the 2018 MLB home run derby at Nationals Ballpark.

After Aguilar earned a spot on the all-star team with the "Final Vote" victory, he also competed in the home-run derby, earning the "top seed" in Washington, D.C. Aguilar hit a respectable 12 homers in that first round but lost his head-to-head battle with Rhys Hoskins of Philadelphia, 17-12. The night would belong to Nationals star Bryce Harper, who went on a magical run in the finals to top Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs, 19-18.