VIDEO: Christian Yelich Explains Tough Decision to Pull Out of Home Run Derby
By Adam Weinrib
Nobody wants to let the fans down during a week that primarily serves as a midseason showcase. That goes doubly when you're an NL MVP candidate who's promised time and again to strut your stuff at the midsummer classic. While Christian Yelich won't let his back issues prevent him from starting the All-Star Game, he's made the likely wise decision to pull out of the taxing Home Run Derby. But just because it's calculated and well-plotted doesn't make it any less personally upsetting for Yelich himself.
Skipping the Derby was a difficult decision for a player who hates letting people down. But Christian Yelich said after his back tightened up in Saturday’s game and he thought about it over a sleepless night, he knew he had to put the Brewers first. pic.twitter.com/3gy69gTLMv
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 7, 2019
Of course, it's a shame we'll be missing his prodigious power; after all, it was just a few days back that Yeli was crushing boat windows in Pittsburgh prepping for the showcase.
But no matter how long it kept him up at night, the Brewers superstar knows he made the right call. Leading the Brew Crew to the top of the NL Central with a structurally-sound back is more important than crushing some dingers on a timer.