‘Swing hard,’ ‘win it’ the advice as Rockies Blackmon readies for Derby

As the first half of the MLB season ramps down, Colorado Rockies All-Star center fielder Charlie Blackmon is just ramping up.

Blackmon, who’ll start for the National League in Tuesday night’s Midsummer Classic in Miami, has been preparing and taking advice for his appearance Monday in the Home Run Derby.

His pitcher, Colorado bullpen coach Darren Holmes, and he worked on the timing during batting practice, Blackmon told Rockies play-by-play announcer Drew Goodman during the “Charlie Blackmon Show” on Thursday.

“We went through the whole thing,” Blackmon said. “The rounds are going to be timed. I just kind of wanted to see how many swings I would get in in a minute or whatever, that kind of thing, and just have an idea of how many swings I’m going to have to take before the time runs out.”

Blackmon took batting practice without the “turtle shell,” the half-circle cage around home plate.

“You do this one thing every day, and then you do it completely differently, you’re going to feel different,” Blackmon said.

He even reached out to teammates, both past and present, who’ve participated in the Home Run Derby before.

Though the advice maybe left something to be desired.

“Swing hard,” Blackmon said fellow outfielder Carlos Gonzalez told him.

Former Rockies first baseman and 2008 Home Run Derby champion Justin Morneau, according to Blackmon, said, “Win it.”

“But then he came back and gave me some real stuff that I can use,” Blackmon said.

Blackmon said he’s going to take the same swing he always takes, though he might approach the contest differently from a mental standpoint.

And he knows the toll the Home Run Derby will take on his energy and stamina.

“I will say that you’re putting out a lot of effort and a lot of energy,” Blackmon said. “It’s going to be hard to replicate that atmosphere, lots of people in the stands screaming, that kind of thing.

“Your body is going to be amped up whether you want it to be or not. So, that’s going to take a lot of you.”

Nevertheless, Blackmon said that aside from feeling “a little bit” out of his comfort zone, he’s “excited” to be the 11th to take a crack at winning the Home Run Derby.

The action kicks off Monday at 6 p.m. on 104.3 The Fan.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.