A RUNNERUP TO REMEMBER

(July 15): There's an adage in sports about no one ever remembering who finished second. There are exceptions to any rule and we witnessed one of them yesterday during the All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

I doubt few of us will recall over time that Justin Morneau won yesterday's event at Yankee Stadium by hitting five homers to his opponent's three in the final round of the competition

But few of us are likely to forget the mind-boggling, gravity-defying display of raw power by Josh Hamilton.

The Texas slugger hit 28 home runs – including 13 in a row – during the first round of the derby. For those keeping score at home, that's 28 dings on 38 swings, to shatter the record of 24 set by Bobby Abreau in 2005.

It wasn't just the number of homers launched by Hamilton that was so impressive. There was also the length of his prodigious blasts.

Hamilton drove five balls into the upper deck. He slugged another off the facing of the mezzanine. Two more of his moon shots landed in the black seats in center. Three of his drives traveled in excess of 500 feet.

So a national hero was born yesterday in the Bronx by a guy who already is in the midst of a sensational season after essentially missing four years because of various dependencies and addictions.

Quickly now: Who won last night's Home Run Derby? See what I mean.

BACKUP BLUES: One of the problems with having a durable and dominant quarterback – someone in the mold of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and, yes Brett Favre – is that their backups seldom if ever get a chance to show their stuff.

So if the great QB goes down, there's huge letdown in talent and experience. And if the backup is really promising, he'll try to leave by any means possible in order to get his shot as starter.

Which brings us to the Indianapolis Colts and the announcement yesterday that Manning will miss from four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee.

That means Manning will miss training camp and at least some exhibition games, putting the focus on little-used backup Jim Sorgi, who has thrown all of 36 passes in five seasons with the Colts.

COLT SIGNS: Speaking of backup quarterbacks, former University of Hawaii standout Colt Brennan signed a four-year, $1.8 million contract with the Washington Redskins, who drafted him in the sixth round of April's NFL draft.

Brennan will receive a first-year base salary of $295,000 if he makes the team in addition to receiving a signing bonus of $98,500.

Brennan is expected to compete with Derek Devin of Marshall for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind starter Jason Campbell and 13-year veteran Todd Collins.

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