Fielder claims second Home Run Derby title

Detroit Tigers baseman beats Jose Bautista 12-7 in final round to repeat 2009 victory.

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USA // Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder won the 2012 Home Run Derby in Kansas City for his second title in four years.

The 28-year-old beat Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final round to repeat his success of 2009 in nearby St Louis while a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Fielder snuck through the first round with just five homers, but belted 11 in the second before going one better in the final.

The 28-year-old joins Ken Griffey as the only players to win the event more than once.  Griffey won the derby in 1994 at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, 1998 at Denver's Coors Field and 1999 at Boston's Fenway Park.

"Just being mentioned with him is real special," Fielder said.

Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels and the St Louis Cardinals' Carlos Beltran, the only National League representative in the last four, missed out in the second round as the American League continued its recent dominance of the event.

Both captains had a day to forget.

The NL's Matt Kemp was eliminated in the first round with just one long ball, while New York Yankee Robinson Cano, skipper for the AL, did not manage a single one much to the amusement of the Kansas City fans, who cheered his every failure.

Royals fans were also upset that Cano overlooked home favourite Billy Butler for a place on his team.

Historically the Royals and the Yankees have been fierce rivals, dating back to the late 1970s when they were the two must successful teams in the AL.

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