The 2009 Home Run Derby is tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET and Cardinals’ slugger Albert Pujols is a 2/1 favorite to win this year’s event, which is hardly a surprise since a) he’s a G-damn home run hitting cyborg and b) the event is in his home park at Busch Stadium.

Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard is 5/2 to win, while Tigers’ third baseman Brandon Inge is 7/2 and Rays’ slugger Carlos Pena is 5/1. Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres is 6/1, Nelson Cruz of the Rangers is 8/1, the Twins’ Joe Mauer is 9/1 and Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder is 10/1.

It’s hard not to like Pujols in his home park, but the favorite never seems to win in the home run derby. Fielder is intriguing at 10/1, but that big boy is likely to crap out in the second round and Gonzo hasn’t hit a home run since before dinosaurs walked the earth so I’m scratching him too.

While my head says go with Howard at 5/2, the underdog in me says Pena at 5/1. He’s leading the AL in dingers and doesn’t have the “immense pressure” of performing in front of his home crowd like Pujols.

Update: Well, that makes sense. I totally crap on Prince Fielder and he winds up winning the damn thing. Not only that, but his dingers were the most impressive of the night. Ah well, at least I didn’t pick Brandon Inge to win…yikes.

Looks like there will be a new home run derby king this year:

Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau says he has declined an invitation to participate in the popular All-Star Game event, which will be held Monday in St. Louis. He says he wants to rest and would prefer to watch.

Morneau won last year’s competition at Yankee Stadium, but that was overshadowed by Josh Hamilton’s record 28 homers in the first round. The Texas Rangers outfielder tired as the event dragged on and Morneau outlasted him 5-3 in the finals.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says he is happy to hear Morneau will be sitting this one out.
Hamilton isn’t going to participate, either, at the request of his manager.

It’s too bad that neither Morneau nor Hamilton will compete, but the fans in St. Louis will still be treated to Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez.

Still, it would have been cool to see this again:

This was a horrible idea with a predictable ending:

Is anyone surprised that the one guy has a camouflage hat on and there’s a pickup truck nearby?