Who is Jose Bautista? He’s no Nick Swisher that’s who.

That’s the answer I assume Major League Baseball would submit after snubbing the All Star and major leagues homerun leader (24) by not inviting him to participate in this years Home Run Derby.

Instead of inviting the current Toronto Blue Jay and former Pittsburg Pirate to participate in the derby, MLB invited the New York Yankees Nick Swisher and his somewhat pedestrian 14 homeruns to the game.

Vernon Wells, Miguel Cabrera and David Ortiz were all initial Home Run Derby invitees for the American League and all three play in major markets with with long standing ties to their individual teams fans. There is no denying they are all talented and worthy of there selections but none of them have hit as many home run’s as Jose Antonio Bautista has hit this year. No one has.

So unfortunately for small market players it’s no way Jose will you get an invite to this years derby unless a few of the lucky choose ones pull out with injury concerns. Your best bet is if teammate Vernon Wells pulls out (That’s what she said!!!) as that allows MLB to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

My case for Bautista would rest on the fact that if he couldn’t manage to hit one out – which some have failed to do in the compition – he can at least do this;