It’s that time of year again! Time for baseball’s midsummer classic — the All-Star Game.

With it comes the jewel of the festivities, the Home Run Derby. The home run contest has been the most anticipated part of this three-day hiatus from the regular season since 1985.

In recent years, the contest has lacked a great deal of the luster it once had. This year, Major League Baseball had immense trouble finding an eighth competitor for tonight’s contest, until Tampa Bay’s (and Haverhill native) Carlos Pena stepped in.

How did this contest get its start? Most trace it back to the 1960 television show of the same name hosted by actor/announcer Mark Scott. The video below is a look at the show, which pits Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Duke Snider against Milwaukee’s Henry Aaron. Something tells me this Aaron fellow was destined for gopher ball greatness, even in 1960.

ESPN even revived the show for a short run in 2003. Jose Canseco was deemed the winner of the second running of the show.

The All-Star weekend incarnation of the Home Run Derby got going in 1985 during All-Star festivities at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. That year, Cincinnati’s Dave Parker was crowned champ, but had to fend off a star-studded stable of contenders including Jim Rice, Carlton Fisk, Dale Murphy, Cal Ripken Jr., Ryne Sandberg, and Steve Garvey.

Ever since, the contest has been a summertime staple, and has produced some pretty awesome moments in the 24 years since it’s inception.

Who can forget Ken Griffey Jr. hitting the Warehouse across from Camden Yards in 1993? Or Mark McGwire peppering the Mass Pike in 1999? McGwire belted 13 bombs in the first round that year, a new single round record at the time. However, with backwards cap and everything, Griffey stole the show and came away with the title on that warm July night at Fenway.

And every so often, the Home Run Derby will produce a whole new star in the baseball galaxy. Last year was no different with Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton’s first round of epic proportions. Hamilton hit 28 first-round homers last year off of his Legion ball coach, Clay Counsil. The scene was certainly a triumphant one, especially considering the demons that Hamilton fended off to reach that moment.

In case you don’t remember, let the video below jog your memory.

Tonight’s competitors from the American League are: Peña, Nelson Cruz, Brandon Inge and Joe Mauer. Swinging the stick for the Senior Circuit is a quartet of first basemen: Ryan Howard, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.

ESPN has introduced new technology for tonight’s contest, the Ball Track. Hopefully, this technology goes over much better than the Fox Trax puck back in the mid-90’s.

However, if all else fails, you could always watch the Derby and play the official 2009 Home Run Derby Drinking Game.

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