Time to punt the Home Run Derby?

Barry Bonds? Out of the Home Run Derby.

Junior Griffey? Out of the Home Run Derby.

Alex Rodriguez? Almost certainly out of the Home Run Derby.

Is it time we put the Derby out to pasture? Sports have a long history of auxiliary events that seem like a good idea at the onset, then lose momentum. The old HORSE and one-on-one competitions at NBA halftimes. The Superstars competition on ABC in the 1970s.

High times for a short while, then poof. The fun seemed to disappear.

So it is with the Home Run Derby. The slugfest the night before the All-Star Game was charming and entertaining for a few years. The big-timers would win.

Andre Dawson. Cal Ripken. Mark McGwire. Juan Gonzalez. Griffey. Frank Thomas. Bonds. Sammy Sosa.

Occasionally, we would see awesome moon shots. Occasionally, we would have a memorable moment.

But now, the Derby often as not is won by a Miguel Tejada or a Bobby Abreu. Now, the game’s greatest sluggers skip it.

The Home Run Derby should join with the NBA All-Star Game’s dunk contest and silently slide away.