Legends descend on Isotopes Stadium for Homerun Derby X

ALBUQUERQUE (Aug. 23, 2024) – No doubt about it. Everyone goes crazy when Manny comes to town.

That’s Manny Ramirez, of course. And this time he brought friends; fellow MLB legends Jonny Gomes, Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman.

The Homerun Derby X (HRDX) hit Isotopes Stadium on Aug. 23, for a fun reimagining of the Homerun Derby concept, and Team New Mexico Lobos was the eventual victor.

Here’s how it worked. There were four teams of three players each (plus a coach). Each team took turns hitting homeruns through various targets and into the Isotopes berm, where eager fans awaited.

While each team had a mix of worldwide and local talent, Team Lobos had both UNM baseball star Gene Trujillo and Lobo softball legend Andrea Howell.

Oh, and the Lobos also had this guy named Ryan Zimmerman on their team. Zimmerman is a two-time MLB All-Star, with two Silver Slugger awards, a Gold Glove award and a World Series Ring (with the Washington Nationals.) He hit 284 career homeruns.

Even with all that success, Zimmerman was still a little bit in awe of his teammates.

“He’s a big boy. He can hit the ball,” Zimmerman told the Observer, referring to teammate Trujillo. “It’s fun to watch... to kind of see how the game has evolved, and what these guys can do these days, it’s a lot different than what I was doing.”

Trujillo, in turn, used the HRDX to learn from some of the game’s greats.

“It’s awesome,” he said of being teammates with Zimmerman. “I’ve been trying to stay next to him and asking questions. The kid in me is starting to come out.”

With all that baseball power, it was the softball star who stole the show. Andrea Howell, UNM’s all-time leader in homeruns and total bases, (and Olympic athlete for Team Italy) knocked it out of the park.

Jared Mang of Team Green Chile Cheeseburgers (GCCB) won the MVP award for the night with 27 points and a walk-in win in the semi-finals. But it was clear from the crowd that Howell was the star of the night.

For Howell, it couldn’t have been better. The HRDX was more than a game; it was a homecoming.

“I am so excited to be on the Lobos,” Howell told the Observer before the game. “It’s just an honor to be able to wear Lobos across my chest one more time... And Gene Trujillo is a stud already, and of course Ryan Zimmerman is just an MLB legend who everyone knows and loves. So, I’m very grateful to have the teammates I have, and I think we are going to do great tonight.”

Howell wasn’t wrong. Her team won the whole thing.

Some slight rain issues made for a few hiccups, but ultimately the night went well, and the drizzle did little to discourage fans.

In the first round, Team Lobos beat Team Isotopes and Team GCCB beat Team Mariachis. Then Team Lobos finished off the victory by taking down Team GCCB.