Tickets for HRDX in Seoul are on sale now!
Two weeks ago, baseball history was made. On a beautiful, sunny day in London, thousands of fans came out for the inaugural FTX MLB Home Run Derby X. In addition to all the food and music, the fans were treated to quite the finish as the Yankees -- led by Nick Swisher and MVP Erika Piancastelli -- defeated their arch nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, for the very first HRDX crown.
You can make sure you're in attendance for the next one as tickets are on sale for the next event in Seoul, Korea, on Sept. 17 at the Paradise City Hotel.
Just like in London, the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Red Sox will return to continue battling for the season-long HRDX title. It will also be a homecoming for the two-time silver medalist speed skater Yoongy Kwak. Kwak smashed one home run to help the Dodgers finish in third place at the London event and earn a crucial point in the season standings.
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And this time Kwak definitely won't need to bring along any Korean beer to share with his competitors -- as he did for the London tournament:
If you're not familiar with HRDX, we'll break it down for you. The contest features four teams of four players -- each club has a former Major League Legend, a women's baseball or softball Superstar, a Rookie from that country's development system, and a Wild Card, who is an athlete from another sport training in baseball for the very first time.
That last twist is what makes Kwak's performance so remarkable: Sure, he could destroy you on ice skates any day of the week, but how does a world class athlete do when introduced to baseball for the first time?
In addition to the rosters, the rules for HRDX are a little different than any Home Run Derby you may have seen in the past. Each batter gets 25 swings to hit as many home runs as possible, but there are also three targets to hit -- two in the field of play and one beyond the outfield fence -- that can earn bonus points. In addition, batters can request a "hot streak" where they receive five consecutive pitches worth double points. But be careful: Defense counts in HRDX, and their points are doubled during this streak for any ball they catch, as well.
There will be more updates on food vendors, musical acts, and the South Korean Rookies as we get closer, but here are the rosters as they currently stand for the September event:
Boston Red Sox
Jonny Gomes, MLB Legend
Paige Halstead, Superstar
Liv Cooke, Wild Card
Chicago Cubs
Geo Soto, MLB Legend
Alex Hugo, Superstar
Spencer Owen, Wild Card
Los Angeles Dodgers
Adrián González, MLB Legend
Ashton Lansdell, Superstar
Yoongy Kwak, Wild Card
New York Yankees
Nick Swisher, MLB Legend
Erika Piancastelli, Superstar
Daniel Corral, Wild Card