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Ortiz to captain Home Run Derby team for American League in new format

Print | Comments () Posted by Peter Abraham, Globe Staff June 30, 2011 05:56 PM

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This release from Major League Baseball:

Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers and David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox have been named the first-ever captains of the National League and American League squads for the 2011 Home Run Derby.

Interactive: Who should Papi pick?

Ortiz is the defending champion, having won the 2010 Home Run Derby in Anaheim, while Fielder won the previous year in St. Louis. The 2011 Home Run Derby will take place on Monday, July 11 at Chase Field in Phoenix at 8 p.m. (ET).

A new element of this year’s Derby format will be the team competition between the American League and National League. Fielder and Ortiz will each determine the other three participants on their teams and will personally extend the invitations. All players are eligible to participate in the Home Run Derby, not only those named to All-Star rosters. Each of the captains will select a charity of their choice which they will be hitting for during the Derby.

State Farm and Major League Baseball will donate a significant amount of money for charity through the event. The donations will be made as follows:

• $150,000 will be awarded to the winning captain's charity in his name

• $100,000 will be awarded to Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) in the name of the winning captain.

* $25,000 will be awarded to the charity of the captain of the losing team in his name.