Bryce Harper. Before his April 2012 debut for the Washington Nationals, the team that selected him first overall in the 2010 MLB amateur draft, he was labeled by some as a phenom and others as a villain. He was given expectations to be an instant Hall of Fame entry, or the worst MLB draft bust since the Florida Marlins selected Josh Booty in 1994. This child, this boy, this kid from Nevada, would either be Babe Ruth or Casey at the Bat. There would be no middle ground.
On July 7, less than three months into his rookie season, Harper has eight home runs, twenty-five RBI, a .283 average and an OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) of .830 -- only six rookies have more home runs, and only one rookie has better average, OPS, and RBI numbers (Mike Trout, LA Angels, .347, .962, 39). Mike Trout is twenty years old. Bryce Harper? Only nineteen.
See, baseball has never quite seen anything like Harper before. Two seasons after the Washington Nationals wowed the country with the spectacular pitching of Stephen Strasburg, they do it again on the bat, hustle, and swagger of Bryce Harper. With his last-minute selection as an injury replacement for Giancarlo Stanton (RF - Miami Marlins) in the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, Harper becomes the youngest position player selected, as well as the third-youngest player ever: only Dwight Gooden and Bob Feller were younger, and by a collective thirty-one days.
The selection could not come without a bit of serendipity, of course. Harper finished third in the Final Voting for the last roster spot for the National League, behind St. Louis third baseman David Freese and Atlanta outfielder Michael Bourn. His selection as an injury replacement can only be made by the National League's manager, retired Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011. Freese's spot in the game was secured by winning the Final Vote, and Bourn earned his spot earlier this afternoon with the withdrawal (due to injury) by Harper's teammate, shortstop Ian Desmond. Had Giancarlo Stanton not required arthroscopic surgery on a troublesome right knee, we would be talking about the impressive numbers of Harper, and the numerous All-Star games many expect him to participate in, perhaps even his candidacy for the NL Rookie of the Year. However, his numbers have already been bolstered by a rookie year All-Star Game selection, something that only two other teenagers have ever accomplished. For those who wonder if he's earned it, if maybe the spot should be reserved for a more accomplished player? Come on. That's a clown question, bro.
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| Bryce Harper: All-Star. Photo courtesy MissChatter, flickr |
See, baseball has never quite seen anything like Harper before. Two seasons after the Washington Nationals wowed the country with the spectacular pitching of Stephen Strasburg, they do it again on the bat, hustle, and swagger of Bryce Harper. With his last-minute selection as an injury replacement for Giancarlo Stanton (RF - Miami Marlins) in the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, Harper becomes the youngest position player selected, as well as the third-youngest player ever: only Dwight Gooden and Bob Feller were younger, and by a collective thirty-one days.
The selection could not come without a bit of serendipity, of course. Harper finished third in the Final Voting for the last roster spot for the National League, behind St. Louis third baseman David Freese and Atlanta outfielder Michael Bourn. His selection as an injury replacement can only be made by the National League's manager, retired Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011. Freese's spot in the game was secured by winning the Final Vote, and Bourn earned his spot earlier this afternoon with the withdrawal (due to injury) by Harper's teammate, shortstop Ian Desmond. Had Giancarlo Stanton not required arthroscopic surgery on a troublesome right knee, we would be talking about the impressive numbers of Harper, and the numerous All-Star games many expect him to participate in, perhaps even his candidacy for the NL Rookie of the Year. However, his numbers have already been bolstered by a rookie year All-Star Game selection, something that only two other teenagers have ever accomplished. For those who wonder if he's earned it, if maybe the spot should be reserved for a more accomplished player? Come on. That's a clown question, bro.
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