Minor League Baseball Is Holding Its Home Run Derby In The Most Patriotic Place Ever This Summer

While last season seemed to be the year of the Home Run Derby thanks to the introduction of the new format in major league baseball and a Double-A All-Star Game using a dinger shootout to declare a winner, this year’s Home Run Derby in both the California League and the Carolina League is taking things to a level never seen before.

That’s because, according to MiLB.com, the two High A leagues—which host a joint All-Star Game—will be having the annual slugfest on the flight deck of a fucking aircraft carrier on the USS Midway in San Diego Bay, with the official press release giving more details:

Home plate for the competing hitters will be located approximately 250 feet from the bow of the ship, and the hitters are expected to hit an estimated total of 150 balls into San Diego Bay.

The balls landing in the bay will be retrieved by volunteers on jet skis, standup paddleboards and kayaks who are stationed in the landing zone. The volunteers include teens who are benefactors of Outdoor Outreach, a local non-profit that provides water-based recreation opportunities to youth in underserved neighborhoods in the San Diego and South Bay areas.

This is an absolutely genius idea by MiLB to bring even more attention to their leagues, with plenty of homers being launched off the ship with home plate just 250 feet from the front of the ship.

Forget ballparks hosting All-Star Game festivities, let’s just find random places like this for sluggers to knock the snot out of the ball from.

[H/T SI.com]