Fans disappointed after Yelich misses All-Star Home Run Derby
CLEVELAND (CBS 58) -- The MLB All-Star week kicked off with the Home Run Derby, with one player noticeably missing from the roster: Brewer and MVP Christian Yelich.
Yelich dropped out with a minor back injury. He said he'll play in the All-Star game itself but simply couldn't take 30 power swings in a rapid-fire format.
"I just didn't know if I was going to actually make it through it and I wasn't going to be able to give it the effort that it deserves," Yelich said. "I'm very disappointed that I wasn't able to do it."
Fans were disappointed but say they see the big picture.
"As long as he's going to be back for the brewers coming up here. Just to have him represent the brewers and be in the game is great along with the other guys in the game," said Joel Cohen, who drove to Cleveland.
"Yeah it's disappointing for us to not be able to see him here but it's better, for the long run, hopefully for the second half of the season to help for the playoff push," said fan Joey Van Lieshout who flew to Cleveland.
Mets rookie Pete Alonso outlasted a worn-down Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the final round of the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night to win $1 million -- nearly double his 2019 salary.