Shagging baseballs at the Home Run Derby
In the summer of 1998, baseball fanatic Josh Richmond was gearing up for his ninth birthday. Richmond grew up in Cincinnati and, naturally, was a huge Reds fan. The Boone brothers (Aaron and Bret), Sean Casey and Barry Larkin were his favorite players. When young Richmond laid his head on his pillow at night, he dreamt of putting on a Major League Baseball uniform. Little did he know, that day would come before his 10th birthday.
The 1998 Home Run Derby was held at Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. Ken Griffey, Jr., won the event with a total of 19 home runs. Legendary sluggers Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez and Jim Thome participated, too. Richmond, with wide eyes and just nine years of life under his belt, was also there, shagging fly balls in the outfield.
“I was at my grandmother’s house on the pool deck when my dad got the call that I had won a spot to go to the Home Run Derby,” Richmond said. “He was so excited that he ran out to the backyard and tackled me into the pool. That was just his way of celebrating.”
Richmond competed in skill competitions that tested a player’s power, accuracy and speed in order to qualify. “I won the competition, but my scores still had to be in the top four in my age group in the country, so I had been waiting for the results,” he said. Richmond did not quite understand what he was about to experience, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable days of his life.
Major League Baseball flew the Richmond family to Denver the day before the Home Run Derby. When the rest of the kids got to the ballpark, they were all given a tour of the stadium and rubbed elbows with some of the All-Stars. “I made my parents drive me to the stadium way too early because I was just so excited,” Richmond recalled.
Richmond had a special encounter with Griffey, Jr., one of baseball’s most popular stars. “When he came over to introduce himself, he rubbed my head,” Richmond said. “That was really special because every kid loved Griffey.” Richmond said that it was difficult for him to wash his hair again after that moment, but he eventually did.
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After the tour was over, Richmond was handed his own Cincinnati Reds uniform to don for the Home Run Derby. The moment that Richmond had been waiting for was finally here, and he was about to run out onto a big league field in front of 50,000 fans. “I remember anxiously waiting in the tunnel to run out onto the field with my jersey on and my glove in hand,” Richmond said.
Richmond may have only been nine years old, but he knew how to defend one of the greatest left-handed hitters of all time. “When Griffey would hit, I would always run to right field because I knew that he was going to pull the ball.”
Unfortunately, Richmond was never able to catch a ball off Junior’s bat because most of them went over the fence, but there was one ball off McGwire’s bat that Richmond did field. It was a line drive that he had to fight off another kid in order to make the play. The kid who Richmond was wrestling with was Chris Parmelee, who has since logged big league time with the Minnesota Twins.
Another future major leaguer who was shagging fly balls that night was Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer. “Eric and I became best friends in high school, and we played together for the Midland Redskins where we won a national championship,” Richmond said. “It was surreal when my mom showed me the picture of Eric and me at Coors Field all those years ago.”
Even though many years have passed, Richmond will always remember that unique experience 15 years ago. “The opportunity to field fly balls in front of 50,000 people while wearing a major league jersey motivated me to continue to work hard.”
“Heading into the 1998 Home Run Derby, I knew that I loved baseball, and after that experience I knew what I wanted to pursue for a living.”
Sure enough, Richmond is still in pursuit of the dream, while plenty of nine-year-old fans now watch him here in Winston-Salem.
- Curt
