LUBBOCK, Texas - Former Lubbock Christian University baseball player and current Norfolk Tides Manager, Buck Britton will pitch to Oriole shortstop Gunnar Henderson in Monday night's MLB Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington (7 CT, ESPN).
Britton knows Henderson well, as he managed the 2019 second-round Draft pick at Double-A Bowie in 2021 and at Triple-A Norfolk in 2022. They also spent time together at the alternate training site in Bowie during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Britton was a member of the LCU baseball team from 2006-2008 and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 35
th round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Buck played seven seasons in the Orioles organization, including four with the Norfolk Tides. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2015 and the Minnesota Twins organization in 2016 before retiring as a player.
As a player, Buck totaled 828 Minor League games and hit .270 with 59 home runs and 407 RBI. He recorded a 21-game hitting streak with the Tides in 2013, tied for the third longest hitting streak in franchise history. Buck was inducted into the LCU Athletics Hall of Honor in 2017.
Gunnar Henderson joins a stacked field of power hitters, as himself, Pete Alonso (New York Mets), Alec Bohm (Philadelphia Phillies), Adolis Garcia (Texas Rangers), Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals), Marcell Ozuna (Atlanta Braves), Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians), and Teoscar Hernandez (Los Angeles Dodgers) battle for the derby crown.
The star shortstop has been on a tear this season for Baltimore, racking up 27 homers (3rd in MLB), 61 runs batted in (12th in MLB), .and a 965 OPS (4th in MLB). Henderson was also selected to start at shortstop for the American League in Tuesday's All-Star Game.
"It's really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Britton said. "Super humbled, and I feel really blessed that he picked me, and hopefully, we go out there and have some fun."
