Associated Press
ST. LOUIS ó Prince Fielder beat the hometown boppers on their own turf.
With Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard eliminated early, Fielder won baseball’s Home Run Derby on Monday night with a steady power display that included a jaw-dropping drive estimated at 503 feet.
The Milwaukee Brewers’ first baseman outslugged Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz 6-5 in the finals at Busch Stadium to take home a title that St. Louis fans surely hoped would go to one of their own.
“It’s what I expected. This is Albert’s stadium and Ryan is from here,” Fielder said. “I was just happy I was able to put on a show and I’m glad I won.”
Pujols, the Cardinals’ big first baseman, and Howard, who grew up in the Gateway City, were knocked out in the second round.
Pujols needed a late rally just to avoid elimination in the first round. With one out to work with, he connected on consecutive swings to force a three-player swing-off for the final spot in round 2.ALL-STAR GAME
ST. LOUIS ó Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay were selected as the starting pitchers for the All-Star game.President Barack Obama will be in the Fox broadcast booth for tonight’s game. He will join Joe Buck and Tim McCarver for the telecast from Busch Stadium, but the inning has not yet been determined.
Obama is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and Pujols will be on the receiving end.
NATIONALS
WASHINGTON ó Manny Acta is out, and Jim Riggleman is in as the Washington Nationals manager.
Acta was fired with a 26-61 record, the worst in the baseball. Riggleman, the bench coach, was chosen the interim replacement.
Riggleman has managed the Padres, Cubs and Mariners, compiling a 522-652 record in nine seasons.
REDS
CINCINNATI ó The Reds say outfielder Jay Bruce’s broken right wrist shows no damage to tendons or ligaments, but he is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.PIRATES
LAKELAND, Fla. ó Pittsburgh farmhand and reality show contestant Rinku Singh earned his first win Monday in the second game of a Gulf Coast League doubleheader.
Singh struck out the only batter he faced in the Bradenton Pirates’ 10-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers’ affiliate He is believed to be the first India-born player to win a professional baseball game in the United States.
Singh and Dinesh Patel were signed by the Pirates last fall after appearing on an Indian reality TV show called “Million Dollar Arm” that drew about 30,000 contestants in a country where baseball is almost unknown. The show sought to find athletes who could throw strikes at 85 mph.
CUBS
CHICAGO ó The corporate owner of the Chicago Cubs is considering having the baseball team file for bankruptcy protection as a legal step to hasten its long-awaited sale, according to two people with knowledge of the process.