2021 MWBL CHRISTMAS CLASSIC HOME RUN DERBY

Matanzas Cuba – 12/25/2021

Despite the pandemic & Covid 19 Restrictions, the Mid-West Baseball League held its 18th Annual Christmas Classic again this year on a warm afternoon in Matanzas Cuba today.   An 82-degree day with the winds blowing in at an easy 7 MPH, was the perfect setting for the Mid-West Baseball League annual event.  Street vendors were out in droves selling hats, T-Shirts, sunglasses, anything they could make a buck on from Americans & other foreign tourists. Twelve MWBL players & families came together with masks on for a jolly old time of fun, sun, & some Home Runs.

Wil Myers got to live the dream on Christmas Day, not only did he get to participate in the 18th Annual Mid-West Baseball League Christmas Classic Home Run Derby in front of hundreds of Cuban People, but he got his brother to throw Home Run Derby to him. Lifetime goals accomplished? Check. Family? Check.

I mean, who doesn’t want to take their younger brother deep when he’s serving up meatballs?  Check. Dingers? Check times 17. It’s a script even Hollywood couldn’t come up with.
… Well, except for the “Getting Plunked” Of course, it was an accident.  Or so Beau says.  Beau Myers, Wil‘s younger brother got back on track after the incident & continued to deal his brother enough solid pitches to get him to 17 homers finishing 2nd in total to George Springers 19.

The Coconut Creek Crushers 31-year-old outfielder Myers launched 6 home runs in the first round of the MWBL’s annual slugfest. But he was outdone by three other players in Round #1, (Kole Calhoun – 7, George Springer 9, & Fernando Tatis 13) all topped him.   Of course, Myers had stressed all along that he’d simply try to enjoy the moment, regardless of the result.  His brother, Beau, was on the mound pitching to him, his parents, Pam and Eric, flew into Cuba Christmas morning & watched from great seats behind home plate.  “It’s a great opportunity for me, just being in the Christmas Classic and having my parents & brother here with me,” Myers said earlier in the day. “I’m just going to soak up every minute of it. I’m not going to take any of it for granted. I’m going to enjoy every second.”

Halfway through the first round, Beau gave Wil a moment the two will most likely laugh about for years. Shortly after Wil had launched a pair of home runs on his first two swings, Beau came high & tight — plunking Wil on his left arm. Wil shrugged it off with a laugh & kept swinging for the fences.

He developed a rhythm in the 2nd round, belting out 7 Home Runs, which set the mark for Springer, Calhoun, & Tatis to shoot for.  Calhoun faded & just couldn’t get anything going as he ended with only 1 Home Run in Round #2.   Tatis was disappointed as he put up a 4 spot but thought he might have a chance.  But it was George Springer who tied Wil Myers with 7 Home Runs & moved onto the finals.

“I didn’t hit as many as I’d like to, but my brother and I had a great time, being together,” Myers said. “Honestly, I thought it was a perfect day & a great opportunity to spend Christmas with the family.” 

Myers’ longest big fly traveled 509 feet, but he also hit three blasts farther than 450 feet on the day.  The biggest blast of the day was off the bat of George Springer.  A monstrous shot of 567 feet.  Right after his first Home Run in Round #1 Springer launched one & sent a souvenir rolling into the streets of downtown Matanzas.  Not knowing where the ball ended up you could see a crowd of Cuban boys chasing it down the street & into a busy intersection where cars from the 1950s swerved out of the way of the crowd of little boys who chased after it.  “The wind was blowing in,” Renegades Shortstop Fernando Tatis said of the bomb Springer hit, “George hit that ball so high & so far that I just stood there with my jaw dropped & watched it disappear. I swear it would have left the Island if the wind was blowing out.”

The Finals were tight, as both Springer & Myers were out of gas as they entered Round #3.  They both finished the 3rd & Final Round tied at 3.  The tiebreaker was a three-swing – swing-off, & Springer went first, producing a 0 for 3. Three swings, three outs. Myers had a chance to have a perfect ending for him & his family.  His first swing was another bomb (446 Feet) & that was it, he walked it off, bat flipping his wood, running out to his brother Beau, & lifting him into the air.  He held Beau with one arm & fist-pumped the air with his other. His parents joined him on the field & the family celebrated. 

Wil Myers is your 2021 Mid-West Baseball League Christmas Classic Home Run Derby Champion!

The Christmas Classic Rules are posted here.