NEW YORK — Robinson Cano, the reigning All-Star Home Run Derby champion who clubbed 20 home runs at last year's event, went homerless in Monday night's contest in Kansas City.
"I landed at 4:30 in the morning and just got a few hours sleep," the New York Yankees superstar second-baseman told the New York Daily News. "That's not an excuse, but I didn't do my thing. You're not going to be perfect all the time."
Cano, the American League team's captain, failed to hit a ball out of the park in 10 swings of the bat at Major League Baseball's annual pre-All-Star Game event.
Instead, the home run crown this year went to the Detroit Tigers' Prince Fielder, who won his second Home Run Derby title on his way to leading the American League to a resounding 61-21 win over the National League.
Cano was booed by Kansas City fans throughout his turn for not choosing hometown favorite, Royals' slugger Billy Butler, to join the three-man home run derby squad. When Cano was named the American League captain last month, he reportedly promised to choose a Royal if one made the All-Star team.
However, he was forced to make his derby selections before the All Star team rosters announced.
“I didn’t lie,” Cano told the Daily News. “Before they picked him, I had to pick the team.”
Monday's contest marked the second straight year that a batter was booed at a Home Run Derby. Fielder was jeered in Arizona in 2011 after he did not select the Diamondbacks' Justin Upton for the derby team.
The All-Star Game is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 8:15 p.m.
