Home Run Derby a family affair for Cano

BY Mark Feinsand

Robinson Cano had three teammates cheering him on from the sideline during Monday night's Home Run Derby, but his biggest fan was the guy standing on the mound throwing him BP fastballs.
Cano's father, Jose, threw to his son during the Derby, throwing 32 perfect pitches that helped Cano capture the title in a thriller over Boston's Adrian Gonzalez.
“Can we split the trophy in half?” Cano asked with a grin.
Players often downplay the importance of things like the Derby, but with Cano, there was no hiding the joy he was feeling after joining Tino Martinez and Jason Giambi as the only Yankees to win the event.
“It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how long you play, that’s the kind of memory you can always share with your family,” Cano said. “When you retire, you can look over and say, ‘Wow, I was good back in the day.’”
Here's what Cano, his father and teammates were saying after his dramatic victory:
Cano, on the win: "It’s like when you hit a base hit in the ninth to win a game, you get excited. You always dream as a kid, watching guys back in the day like Sosa, Griffey, McGwire, Giambi, all those guys that competed in the Derby, how much fun they had; I wanted to be there one day and see how it feels. It’s a great feeling."
Cano, on beating Gonzalez: "I never thought of it as the Red Sox and Yankees. I knew I was facing Gonzalez, but that wasn’t on my mind. I wanted to win. You don’t want to waste 40 swings to say ‘Congratulations’ to another person. You want to bring the trophy home."
Cano, on the meaning of the win: "It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how long you play, that’s the kind of memory you can always share with your family. When you retire, you can look over and say, ‘Wow, I was good back in the day.’"
Cano, on his 472-foot homer into the Miller Lite sign: “I’ve got power.”
Jose Cano: "He asked me to throw it inside and low. I said, ‘That’s the way I throw you the whole year, so that’s going to be easy for me.’"
Jose Cano, on the last homer: "Every time he hit a home run in the last round, I said, ‘Ten more, nine more, eight more …’ When he got the last one, I said, ‘Just one. Just give me one. That’s it.’"
Russell Martin: "Unreal. That was incredible. Robbie put on a show. He put his flawless swing on display. I’m speechless."
  Martin: "He was so focused; you could tell on the flight out here that he really wanted it. He was ready." Dave Robertson: "It was one of those experiences you see on TV, see other guys celebrate. To be there and be a part of that, I couldn’t be happier for Robbie. He showed the world his stuff out there."