ST. LOUIS (ESPN) — It’s Albert Pujols’ town. It was Albert Pujols’ night. And this is Albert Pujols’ personal All-Star extravaganza.

But it was NOT Albert Pujols’ Home Run Derby.

No, instead, the 24th Derby in All-Star long ball history was hijacked by a very large tofu-eater from Milwaukee named Prince Fielder.

He launched 10,087 feet worth of home runs into the Missouri ozone, 23 of those bombs altogether. And that was more than Pujols, more than runner-up Nelson Cruz, and nearly three times as many as the eight his father, Cecil, once hit in three Derbies COMBINED.

“It’s pretty cool to actually win one,” Fielder said afterward. “As a kid, you never think you’ll win one. You just want to be in one. So [winning the Derby is] kind of like a dream come true, I guess.”

OK, true confession: This was not the most mesmerizing Derby show ever. Just for perspective’s sake, we should announce right here that Fielder hit five fewer home runs in THREE rounds than Josh Hamilton hit last year in just ONE round — and Hamilton didn’t even win.

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Elsa/Getty ImagesPrince Fielder said he never hit a ball 500 feet before. Well, on Monday, he knocked one 503 in the Home Run Derby.

But there’s always one magic moment, one indelible swing of the bat, that leaves its imprint on every Home Run Derby. And let the record show that Prince’s signature moment came on his 32nd swing of the evening, late in the second round.

He already had whomped 16 homers at that point. So he was already on his way to the finals.

But who knew the next baseball he’d hit would find itself on its way to Mars?

His personal pitcher, Brewers minor league hitting coach Sandy Guerrero, laid in a vintage BP fastball. Apparently, it was Prince’s kind of pitch.

Fielder coiled, connected and almost toppled over, thanks to the sheer overpowering force of hitting a ball that looked for a moment as if it might clank off the Anheuser-Busch brewery.

It roared through the night, flew OVER the bleachers in deep right-center, found a wedge between those bleachers and the center-field upper deck, and then disappeared into the concourse behind the center-field seats.

It was estimated at 503 feet. Which is a whole lot of feet. But the man who threw the pitch that produced that shot didn’t need a yardstick or a computer grid to measure it.

No, said Sandy Guerrero. He measured this one with his ears.

“It sounded like a cannon,” Guerrero would say afterward. “Not as loud, but very crispy.”

Hmm, did he say crispy? What, like a tortilla chip?

“No, I’m telling you,” Guerrero went on, “that feeling, of seeing that ball come off the bat and hearing that sound, you just turn around and go, ‘Oh, my God.’ I couldn’t follow the ball. But just from the sound of the ball, I knew that one was hit harder than all the others.”

And how right he was. Which was saying something, too, because Fielder hit 11 home runs on this night that traveled 450 feet or farther. And there were some serious whoppers in that collection.

There was a 497-footer that landed six rows from the top of the center-field upper deck. There was a 488-footer that soared beyond the auxiliary scoreboard in right-center. There was a 480-footer that found the center-field upper deck, above the seemingly unreachable Holiday Inn sign. And there was a 466-footer that flew OVER the gigantic grassy knoll in dead center.

But when that 503-foot NASA launch left his bat, it made the rest of those shots look like pop-ups.

“That was amazing,” Guerrero said. “To hit a ball like that, everything has to be exactly perfect — the speed of the pitch, the speed of the bat. Mechanically, you’ve got to be perfect. I mean, he hit a ball 500 feet. We say he makes it look easy. But to stand on the field and see where that ball lands, it’s amazing that he could do that.”

Fielder didn’t do quite THAT much gushing over that majestic hack. But he did say: “I’ve never hit a ball 500 feet. So that was pretty cool.”

What was also pretty cool was that he took teammate Ryan Braun along for this ride — by stealing his bat. During the first round, Fielder ditched the Rickie Weeks model he’d started out using, picked up one of Braun’s bats and used it to do some ridiculous damage.

But afterward, Braun didn’t sound like a man who was real worried that Fielder was in any danger of wrecking either (A) that bat or (B) his swing with this eruption.

“No, his swing is MADE for this thing,” Braun said. “He was hitting line-drive home runs, too. They were just going 500 feet.”

Major League Baseball announced Thursday that Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games for violating its drug policy.

The commissioner’s office didn’t announce the specific violation by Ramirez, but in a statement Thursday provided by Major League Baseball, Ramirez attributed the violation to medication he had been prescribed by a doctor.

“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me,” Ramirez said. “Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now.

“I do want to say one other thing; I’ve taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons. I want to apologize to [Dodgers owner Frank] McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, [manager Joe] Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I’m sorry about this whole situation.”

After consultation with the Players’ Association and his personal representatives, Ramirez waived his right to challenge the suspension. He will lose nearly $8 million of his $25 million salary.

Ramirez’s test result was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Triple-A outfielder Xavier Paul has been told by the Dodgers that he will be promoted later today, according to The Times. Ramirez would be eligible to return to the Dodgers’ lineup for their July 3 game against San Diego.

In his first full season as a Dodger, Ramirez is batting .348 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Los Angeles has bolted to a 21-8 record — best in the majors — and a 13-0 record at home that set the modern major league record for home winning streak to start a season.

This is the second major drug revelation to hit baseball in the last few months. In February, Alex Rodriguez admitted taking steroids while playing for Texas from 2001 to 2003. But that was before the start of testing with penalties under a program agreed to by players and management. The New York Yankees star doesn’t appear likely to be suspended.

Ramirez is the third player suspended this year under the major league program, following Philadelphia reliever J.C. Romero and Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre.

Just two relatively low-profile players were suspended under the major league program last year, San Francisco catcher Elizier Alfonzo and Colorado catcher Humberto Coto.

In the past, the best-known player penalized was Baltimore’s Rafael Palmeiro, who received a 10-day suspension in 2005, the first year of penalties for first infractions.

Information from The Associated Press & ESPN.com was used in this report.

Illustration courtesy of ESPN.com

ANAHEIM, Calif.— Yahoo News reports that the Los Angeles Angels’ Thursday night game has been postponed following the death of rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart.

Manager Mike Scioscia says the team will get together, however.

The 22-year-old Adenhart was a passenger in a car that police say was struck by a motorist who ran a red light. Two other people in the car also died and another was injured. Adenhart had started for Los Angeles just a few hours earlier.

The Angels had been scheduled to play Oakland Thursday night.

Adenhart death is devasting news as  the rookie pitcher’s career got off to a promising start as Adenhart scattered seven hits over six scoreless innings and escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams. He struck out five and walked three  only to have his life taken just hours after his start.

The thoughts an prayers of everyone here at Excess Magazine  go out to Adenharts friends and family.

Rest In Peace

ESPN has compiled a complete guide helping you make the right pick for your 2009 Fantasy baseball draft. Guess who #1  and here’s a hint it isn’t A-Rod.

For the complete list, visit ESPN here

1. Hanley Ramirez , Fla SS	YEAR		AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
	2008 Statistics		589	125	33	67	92	122	35	.301	.400	.540	.940
	2009 Projections		628	119	31	96	80	120	29	.311	.391	.543	.934
2009 Outlook: A sore shoulder hardly slowed Ramirez down, as he completed his first 30/30 season and continued to prove himself as a top-three fantasy player, possibly the best in the game. Ramirez could become more of a power hitter this season, especially if Cameron Maybin wins the leadoff job, which would move Ramirez to third in the order. He’s capable of 40 homers, or 40 steals, or both. He’s only 25, so this might be merely the beginning.

2. Albert Pujols , StL 1B	YEAR		AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
	2008 Statistics		524	100	37	116	104	54	7	.357	.462	.653	1.114
	2009 Projections		546	107	40	124	103	55	6	.346	.449	.641	1.090
2009 Outlook: Here’s a stat that exemplifies just how extraordinary a talent Pujols is: He’s the only player in baseball history to have managed at least a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs and 99 runs scored in each of his first eight big-league seasons. What more needs be said? More important than the numbers is mid-January news that Pujols was already training without restriction coming off October nerve-transposition surgery near his right elbow. Elbow worries were the primary reason that kept him from being the No. 1 pick in the draft a year ago, but with diminished health risk, he makes a much better case for consideration there entering 2009. We won’t say he’s guaranteed to outperform a Hanley Ramirez or Alex Rodriguez, but as a safe .330-35-115 candidate, he makes a darned strong case.

3. David Wright , NYM 3B	YEAR		AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
	2008 Statistics		626	115	33	124	94	118	15	.302	.390	.534	.924
	2009 Projections		614	112	31	109	90	117	21	.308	.395	.534	.929
2009 Outlook: A fantasy monster who annually delivers top statistics, Wright posted career bests in home runs, RBIs and runs scored, but fantasy owners bemoaned his decline in stolen bases from 34 to 15. It’s anyone’s guess how much Wright will opt to run this season, but considering his consistency and potential for 30/30, he warrants an early first-round draft pick and remains a top keeper. Wright has averaged 158 games in four seasons, so there’s really no downside here.

4. Jose Reyes , NYM SS	YEAR		AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
	2008 Statistics		688	113	16	68	66	82	56	.297	.358	.475	.833
	2009 Projections		680	116	15	67	67	81	63	.293	.354	.462	.815
2009 Outlook: Arguably the best player in fantasy from May through August, Reyes was second in the majors in stolen bases and among the leaders in runs scored, ultimately finishing second to Albert Pujols on the Player Rater. While Reyes might never hit 20 home runs in a season, he has few faults as a fantasy option, especially considering he’s a shortstop who steals a ton of bases. Reyes is annually a high first-round pick who delivers what he’s expected to.

5. Ryan Braun , Mil OF	YEAR		AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
	2008 Statistics		611	92	37	106	42	129	14	.285	.335	.553	.888
	2009 Projections		603	103	43	109	46	128	17	.295	.341	.599	.940
2009 Outlook: A monster slugger who is questionable on defense at his drafted position of third base, Braun seemed much more comfortable in his shift to left field in 2008. He didn’t commit a single error, and while he fell short in repeating his outstanding rookie numbers, he did manage healthy numbers in all the pertinent Rotisserie categories. With a year’s experience in left, and his prime years just around the corner at age 25, Braun might yet have room for growth, especially in the power department. It hurts fantasy owners that he no longer qualifies at third base, but even as an outfielder, a 40-homer, 15-steal candidate who’s strong in every other category makes this franchise-caliber slugger a solid cornerstone for your fantasy squad.

6. Grady Sizemore , Cle OF	YEAR		AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
	2008 Statistics		634	101	33	90	98	130	38	.268	.374	.502	.876
	2009 Projections		636	110	30	85	96	140	34	.274	.379	.497	.876
2009 Outlook: As long as he continues to hit leadoff for the Indians and thus gets 600-plus at-bats, Sizemore will pretty much be a lock for another 30-30 season. Plus, with just a few more balls that fall in for hits, you’re looking at a .280 average as well. Sizemore has drawn 199 walks over the past two seasons, showing increased selectivity and patience at the plate as well. You really can’t go wrong drafting Grady.

7. Miguel Cabrera , Det 1B	YEAR		AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
	2008 Statistics		616	85	37	127	56	126	1	.292	.349	.537	.887
	2009 Projections		618	100	39	131	70	129	2	.319	.388	.581	.969
2009 Outlook: Let’s call last season’s move to the AL the reason for Miggy’s first-half power slump (only 11 homers) shall we? The second half, in which he hit .304 with 26 home runs, was far more the Cabrera we remembered from the Marlins. At worst, he matches last season’s fantasy value. At best? Say hello to your 2009 MVP.

8. Johan Santana , NYM SP	YEAR		G	GS	IP	BB	K	W	SV	HD	ERA	WHIP	K/9
	2008 Statistics		34	34	234.1	63	206	16	0	0	2.53	1.15	7.91
	2009 Projections		34	34	234.0	63	223	18	0	0	2.62	1.14	8.58
2009 Outlook: Sure, Santana saw his strikeouts decline while his WHIP and walk rate rose, but he still finished as the No. 5 starter on the Player Rater. Who is more consistent than Santana year after year, yet offers this much upside? Santana registered quality starts in 28 of his 34 2008 starts, so with a beefed-up bullpen, it’s reasonable to expect more than 16 wins and a strong Cy Young run. Put simply, Santana is arguably the best in the business, and worthy of being the top pitcher taken in drafts. For the complete list, visit ESPN here

Alex Rodrigues faces the media as he arrives for spring training in Tampa,FL.

New York Yankees 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez faced the press for the first time since coming clean about using performance enhancers. A-Rod arrived today in Tampa, home of the Yankees spring training facility knowing that he would be the main topic of interest.  Rodriguez, with Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi, began to read a statement where he again apologized to fans, teamates, and Yankees management.  A-Rod admitted that his cousin injected him with an energy booster twice sold over the counter in the Dominican Republic but didn’t know if it was wrong at first, but did admit concerns. “I knew we weren’t taking tic-tacs.” He also called it a “stupid mistake.” At the end of his statement baseball’s biggest star turned to his teamates Derek Jeter,Mariano Rivera Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada, who were sitting in the front row, and began to apologize to them and told them “thank you” for their support.

A-Rod also asked that people judge him from this day forward and not to burden his teamates because of his actions.

Alex Rodriguez comes clean about using PED's in ESPN Interview from his home in Miami.

For Full Transcript of Interview click here

In a shocker this evening, Yankees 3rd baseman, Alex Rodriguez admitted to ESPN’s Peter Gammons that he infact did use performance enhancing drugs during the 2001-2003 season when he had just signed a mega deal with the Texas Rangers.

“When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day,” Rodriguez told Gammons in an interview at his home in  Miami Beach, Fla. “Back then, [baseball] was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time…I did take a banned substance. For that, I’m very sorry and deeply regretful.”

Throughout the interview, Rodriguez’s voice was shaky as he appeared teary-eyed when admitting his mistake after a Sports Illustrated report came out 48 hrs ago claiming that a source had confirmed that A-Rod tested positive back in 2003. The report claimed Rodriguez tested positive for testosterone and Primobolan, an anabolic steroid which Rodriguez, during the interview, stated that he did not know what substances he was taking at the time but knew it was banned. In 2003, MLB imposed no penalties for positive results.

“I felt a tremendous pressure to play, and play really well” in Texas, the New York Yankees third baseman said. “I had just signed this enormous contract … I felt like I needed something, a push, without over-investigating what I was taking, to get me to the next level.”

Rodriguez also stated that since his trade in 2004 to the Yankees, he has been clean.

“I’ve played the best baseball of my career since,” he said. “I’ve won two MVPs since and I’ve never felt better in my career. Of that I’m very proud of.”

A fan poll on ESPN, asked its readers whether they believed Alex Rodriguez’s claim that he has been clean since becoming a Yankee, 53% of the 150,000+ polled believe A-Rod has been clean since becoming a Yankee.

Sports Illustrated is reporting that according to source with knowledge of a sealed 2003 test of 104 players, Alex Rodriguez, currently with the NY Yankees, tested positive. When asked for comment, Rodriguez responded, “Talk to the Union, I’m not saying anything.” In what began as a amazing off-season for the Bronx Bombers with the additions of prized free agents Sabathia, Burnett, and Teixeira, has hit a snage in recent weeks with Joe Torre’s tell all book, and now A-Rod.

We would like to remind our readers that before they cast judgement on A-Rod, that this is merely a report that has not been confirmed and was allegedly from a sealed test that was not supposed to be revealed. Excess Magazine is not confirming the Sports Illustrated report, but merely reporting on it. We will bring  you more details on this report as they come in.

Today in New York at the New Yankee stadium, the Yankees have officially introduce their 3rd prized free agent signing of the off-season, Mark Teixeira. Teixeira joins C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett as part of the Yankees big spending offseason as he put his signature on a 8 year $180 million dollar contract. During his press conference Teixeira said it was his wife who chose New York as he also professed his love for his child hood hero Don Mattingly. His agent Scott Boras, aiming to show that his client wasn’t only about the money, said that, “Mark did not take his best financial offer.”

Here is full coverage of the Teixeira Press conference:

Here is Yankees GM Brian Cashman on signing Teixeira:

Ten minutes after New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman left the home of CC Sabathia last week, Sabathia phoned Cashman.

“I’m all-in,” he said. With those words, Sabathia committed to a seven-year, $161 million deal with the Yankees, a record amount for a pitcher. “I think this is the best place for me to try to win a championship,” Sabathia said Thursday, on his way to the news conference where he was formally introduced, along with right-hander A.J. Burnett. “Everybody had speculated about me staying in California. I had always talked about winning a championship, and you look at the Yankees, it’s something they contend for” just about every year. Sabathia was phoned twice during his negotiations by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter — recruiting calls — and Jeter told him about how much fun it was playing in New York. The day after he reached his agreement with the Yankees, he called Jeter, and the friends talked again about what it would be like to play together. Two days before Sabathia made his decision, Reggie Jackson had been in Las Vegas at the winter meetings as part of the Yankees delegation that met with the left-hander. Sabathia, who grew up in the Bay Area, found himself distracted by the presence of the Hall of Famer: “I was just thinking, ‘Would it be weird to ask [Jackson] for an autograph?’” It wasn’t until subsequent meetings that Sabathia got to dig in and, without Jackson around, ask questions about the Yankees and New York. And now, he and his wife, Amber, are in the process of looking at houses in Alpine, N.J., the left-hander said. The Sabathias intend to permanently move to the area.

They said the one-month gap between the Yankees’ initial offer and Sabathia’s acceptance was partly because they have a new child and partly because he wanted to hear from every interested team. He was concerned New York would withdraw its offer and move on.

“I was worried about the public perception here,” Sabathia said. “I don’t want anybody to think that I didn’t want to come here.”

Burnett also pulled on pinstripes Thursday as part of the introductions. The right-hander, who turns 32 in January, agreed to an $82.5 million, five-year deal last week. He opted out of his five-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays after three seasons to become a free agent — it was the first opt-out provision ever in a pitcher’s contract.

The 31-year-old right-hander even received a recruiting call from Alex Rodriguez. Last September, Burnett got an unexpected recommendation to sign with the Yankees: from Carl Pavano.

His former Florida teammate, maligned for multiple injuries during his four seasons in New York, spoke with him during batting practice at Yankee Stadium.

“It’s a great place to play. It’s a great place to live,” Burnett said Pavano told him. “I was expecting to hear, you know, different things.”

Playing near his home in Maryland was important to Burnett. So was the chance to win.

“I’m not going to say money wasn’t an issue,” Burnett said. “I’m not going to lie; of course money had something to do with it. But I have a chance to win five years in a row. Whether you admit you love them or hate them, everybody wants to be a Yankee.

“I wanted to come to a place with a big stage. I wanted to pitch in the postseason. That’s all I’m here for. I’m here to win.” Sabathia and Burnett headline a projected starting rotation that includes Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. “We got the two gentlemen we really wanted,” manager Joe Girardi said, according to Bloomberg Sports. “It’s such a big Christmas gift, I told my wife Kim she didn’t have to get me anything. We wanted to add two top-of-the-rotation guys and I think we got the two best.” Information from ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney and The Associated Press was used in this report.