This was the story of Todd Frazier, hometown hero, winning Flyers Jakub Voracek Jersey the most dramatic Home Run Derby ever staged, on a Monday evening no one in Cincinnati will ever forget.
But it was also the story of the bond between one of baseball's most effervescent players and the fans who showered him with unabashed affection, from his first swing to his last.
Those people in the seats didn't swing the bat for him. Not once. But when this wild night of long balls was over, when Frazier had finished lining the overtime home run that swept him past Joc Pederson in a pulsating 15-14 final, the champ was the first to admit:He didn't win this alone.
This one was for those 43,587 members of his extended family who chanted his name all night, cheered every out his opponents made and kept his gas tank filled with premium unleaded.
Asked afterward http://www.officialcoyotesstore.com/authentic-40-devan-dubnyk-jersey.html what kind of impact those people had had on him, the Reds third baseman replied: "Big-time impact. Just hearing the crowd roar, call my name, adrenaline. And those last minutes of each round, really picked me up and drive the ball out of the park a lot more."
In three consecutive rounds of mano a mano Derby drama, Frazier arrived at home plate facing hefty deficits and a ticking clock in center field.
In three consecutive rounds, he would then find himself trailing in the final minute -- first against two-time Derby champ Prince Fielder, then again against Toronto masher Josh Donaldson, then one more time in the final against Pederson.
Fireworks sparkled. A thunderclap rattled out of the seats. Frazier pumped his fist and waved his thanks to the screaming masses who hadn't sat down for a single pitch he'd seen all night. He was headed for the finals, to face the amazing Pederson.
It was Pederson who had put on the best show of the night, crushing 13 mammoth homers in under three minutes to send Manny Machado home in the first round, then scrambling back from an awful start to beat the great Albert Pujols, 12-11, in Round 2.
And in the final, Pederson whomped 14 more homers -- including six in six swings at one point. And that left Frazier needing to piece together the biggest round of his Derby career if he was going to win this thing.
But then the "Let's Go Frazier" chants began. Over and over. Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" -- the Reds' salute to their favorite Jersey boy -- wafted over the public address system as the crowd clapped along. Frazier stepped out of the box and took in the moment, drawing strength from every decibel.
This time, though, it clearly wasn't to be. With 90 seconds on the clock, he still trailed by seven homers. So at that point, there was nothing left for Todd Frazier to do but let it fly. And this newfangled Derby format, where it was time that mattered instead of outs, was made for one of America's most enthusiastic hackers.
"Bringing this hardware Canadiens Carey Price Jersey home is something I've always wanted to do," Todd Frazier said. "And it's just an unbelievable feeling."
He gazed at the trophy that would remind him of this night for the rest of his life. He wished he could share it with every Reds fan who had made this possible.