Pensacola's Gabriel Guerrero Wins HR Derby

PENSACOLA, Fla., - Pensacola Blue Wahoos outfielder Gabriel Guerrero channeled his inner Vladimir in the Southern League All-Star Home Run Derby.

Guerrero downed 19-year-old Mississippi outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in the finals that included two one-minute overtimes. The two All-Stars tied all three times, smacking seven, then three and finally two dingers. The tiebreaker was the most overall, which went to Guerrero, who knocked 29 in all three rounds.
The Blue Wahoo player is the nephew of Vladimir Guerrero, who hit 449 home runs in his 16-year Big League career, including a season-high 44 in 2000 with the Montreal Expos.
Guerrero, who was drenched by All-Star teammate Deck McGuire after winning the first Home Run Derby in his seven-year professional career, said he had blisters on his hands.
"It was special," the 23-year-old Guerrero said of winning at Blue Wahoos Stadium in front of the hometown crowd. "We put a good show on for the fans."
He won a paddle board for his efforts.
This season, his first in the Cincinnati Reds organization, he has 0 home runs, 25 RBIs and is hitting .274.
"I know how to hit for power," he said. "I know I'll do it in one game soon. I'm just hitting the ball hard. I'm not worrying about home runs."
The Reds picked up Guerrero in November 2016 off waivers and invited to Spring Training this year.
The Dominican has played with two other teams, including the Seattle Mariners, who signed him as a non-drafted free agent in January 2011. He also played in the Arizona Diamondback organization playing for its Double-A Mobile BayBears affiliate the past two seasons.
Guerrero has spent three seasons in Double-A with a brief 34-game stint for the Triple-A Reno Aces where he hit .212. This is his first Double-A All-Star selection. The game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Tuesday.
"This is a good opportunity they gave me," Guerrero said of the Reds. "It's fun for me right now. I'm glad I'm right here."
Guerrero clobbered eight home runs to win the first round of the Home Run Derby over Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp outfielder John Norwood. He then added nine more to defeat Jackson General first baseman Kevin Cron, who leads the Southern League with 14 home runs.
In the finals, he tied Acuna in the first 1-minute overtime when he launched a ball over the left field fence with his last swing. Both are playing on the South All-Star team.
Guerrero admitted he had a home field advantage with the crowd of about 2,000 erupting in deafening cheers every time he crushed one out of the ballpark. Plus, his Pensacola teammates were cheering him on.
"I missed a couple but I hit a couple hard," Guerrero said. "My teammates were right there. They pumped me up."
Tickets to the 2017 Southern League All-Star Game are on sale now! Purchase tickets online at bluewahoos.com or visiting the Box Office. Orders can also be placed over the phone by calling 850-934-8444. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are the Double-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of the Southern League. Follow the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.
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