Phillies' Howard Wins Home Run Derby

On the final swing of the night, Ryan Howard launches a ball into the right field stands that ricochets against a small sign saying, "HIT IT HERE -- 500 FLIGHTS." (Jamie Squire - Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH, July 10 -- On the final swing of the night, the ball sailed off Ryan Howard's bat, soared nearly as high as the full moon that hung over the downtown Pittsburgh skyline and came down above the stands in right field at picturesque PNC Park, ricocheting gently against a small sign saying, "HIT IT HERE -- 500 FLIGHTS."

With the towering blast, Howard, the Philadelphia Phillies' prodigious slugger, won the Home Run Derby, topping David Wright of the New York Mets and also -- by hitting the sign -- winning 500 free flights for one fan in the crowd of 38,702 in a promotion sponsored by a credit card company.

With his victory, Howard, who entered the all-star break tied for second in homers in the NL with 28, returned the Home Run Derby title to the possession of the pure power-hitting fraternity, following victories in recent years by hitters more accurately described as line-drive hitters with more rounded hitting skills but less pure power -- such as Bobby Abreu (2005), Miguel Tejada (2004) and Garret Anderson (2003), none of whom has hit 40 or more homers in a big league season.

Tejada, the Baltimore Orioles' shortstop, was eliminated Monday night after hitting only three homers in the first round.

Howard, David Ortiz and Lance Berkman all managed to drive balls over the stands in right field and into the Allegheny River on the fly -- prodigious blasts in the 460-foot-plus range.

Washington Nationals outfielder-first baseman Daryle Ward remains the only player to have reached the river on the fly during a regular season game. Ward made it with a 479-foot blast as a member of the Houston Astros in 2002.

Soriano Won't Speculate

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Nationals left fielder Alfonso Soriano, among the biggest names rumored to be available for trade before the July 31 deadline, was besieged during Monday's interview sessions by reporters from New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere in an effort to probe Soriano's feelings about playing somewhere other than Washington either this year or next.

Soriano brushed off questions about trades, saying he has no control over that. But he expressed wide-ranging views about his approaching free agency, indicating at one point he is looking forward to testing free agency -- where he said he might explore a return to playing second base -- then later saying he hopes to remain in Washington.

"Now, I don't have the control [of the situation]. All I can do is just play the game everyday," he said. "After this year, I think I'm going to have a lot of control what I want to do, where I want to go and stuff like that."

Asked whether he would re-sign with the Nationals and forgo free agency, he said, "It depends on what Washington puts on the table."

Soriano, a four-time all-star as a second baseman, will be playing left field and batting leadoff in Manager Phil Garner's NL lineup, thus becoming just the third player in history to start all-star games at both second base and outfield, joining Jackie Robinson and Pete Rose.

Tough Choice for Guillen

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American League Manager Ozzie Guillen's decision as to a starting pitcher was complicated by the fact three deserving candidates -- Toronto's Roy Halladay, Minnesota's Johan Santana and Chicago's Jose Contreras -- pitched in their teams' first-half finales Sunday.

Guillen selected Detroit's Kenny Rogers, a 41-year-old lefty who last year at this time was embroiled in controversy stemming from his assault of a video cameraman.

"I grew up from that a little bit," Rogers said. "Every challenge that comes up, I find that even if you fail you can learn from it, and that was no exception."

Rogers will be facing Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny, Garner's choice for starter.