The Bryce Harper Watch

[Obed_Marsh]

Try to contain your sorrow. You are letting the team down.

Also take me off ignore jerkface.

_VINDICATOR

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Interesting take from Dave Cameron on whether the Nats are doing the right thing by saying it is better for Harper's longevity to play right field rather than catch.  It is in reaction to those who say the Nats should only be concerned about Harper's first 6 years and not his longevity and career path. Normally I just select quotes rather than repost, but this hangs together too well to chop.  I have not read the comments, but there were 77 as of the last time i looked, to it might be good to check them out.  The link is above.

The First Six Yearsby Dave Cameron - June 8, 2010

Yesterday, I suggested that the Nationals were making the right decision for Bryce Harper’s career by putting him in the outfield. The most popular response to that assertion was that the Nationals shouldn’t care about Bryce Harper’s career, only the first six years of club control that they are guaranteed under the CBA. I find this sentiment confusing, honestly, especially considering the crowd that it comes from.

10 or 15 years ago, one of the big arguments from the sabermetric community was that managers were abusing young pitchers, making them throw so many pitches at a young age that their arms would almost certainly fall off. People like Dusty Baker and Dallas Green were vilified for their handling of their pitching staffs, and baseball reacted to the criticism of short term thinking.

From 1990 to 1999, a pitcher was allowed to throw 151+ pitches in a game on 35 different occasions. From 2000 on, it has not happened once – Livan Herandez’s 150 pitch outing is the most any pitcher has thrown in the last decade. The sabermetric community saw what it perceived to be short-sighted thinking, publicized the issue, and the game reacted.

Now, however, it seems like the statistically inclined are on the other side of the fence. Rather than asking baseball teams to be good stewards of a player’s career, the popular refrain is to extract as much value from the first six years of a player’s career as possible with no regard for his long term future.

I find that strange. Putting aside the fact that most elite players re-sign with their original teams for years beyond their first six, making it an act of self-interest to preserve a player’s value beyond his initial term, I believe that teams have a responsibility to look out for the long term well being of players on their team, regardless of whether they’ll be lifetime members of the organization or not. If not just for ethical reasons, then for the good of the game.

I see very little difference from the argument about the first six years of service time compared to how college coaches have traditionally treated pitchers in their care. It is no secret that many universities have put extraordinary pressures on young arms in pursuit of league championships – most notably, the deicision to let Texas RHP Austin Wood throw 169 pitches last year out of the bullpen, after he threw 30 pitches in relief the day before.

There was outrage about that misuse of a young player, and rightfully so, but Augie Garrido’s reasoning is the same as those who argue that a team should only focus on a player’s first six years – why care about the value that he may produce for some other team at the expense of my own benefit?

It’s this kind of short-sighted thinking that has led many players to avoid college baseball, unfortunately. College baseball itself has been hurt by these short term decisions, and I’d argue that the same would be true if Major League teams adopted this “get mine and get out” philosophy. It’s good for baseball that Bryce Harper becomes a superstar who enjoys a long career, and anything that is good for baseball is also good for the Washington Nationals.

Mike Rizzo should be commended for taking a big picture view of the situation, and I am left to wonder why a community that used to fight for the proper treatment of players has now seemingly switched sides.

[Bryce Harper Facts]

B-Harp is the man. The LAPD were recently developing less lethal weapons to be utilized by their police officers. The idea of Bryce Harper home run swings were immediately dismissed.

[PANatsFan]

Interesting take from Dave Cameron on whether the Nats are doing the right thing by saying it is better for Harper's longevity to play right field rather than catch.  It is in reaction to those who say the Nats should only be concerned about Harper's first 6 years and not his longevity and career path. Normally I just select quotes rather than repost, but this hangs together too well to chop.  I have not read the comments, but there were 77 as of the last time i looked, to it might be good to check them out.  The link is above.

I thought Rizzo said it will get him to the majors faster.

[HalfSmokes]

I find that strange. Putting aside the fact that most elite players re-sign with their original teams for years beyond their first six, making it an act of self-interest to preserve a player’s value beyond his initial term, I believe that teams have a responsibility to look out for the long term well being of players on their team, regardless of whether they’ll be lifetime members of the organization or not. If not just for ethical reasons, then for the good of the game.

How many Boras clients don't go to free agency? I thought he like to get his big names on the open market as soon as possible? As far as ethics goes, is every team that plays a catcher by definition unethical?

[KnorrForYourMoney]

freak that "good of the game" bullcrap.  These players who go to other teams never care about "the good of the game," so the teams should have no inclination to worry about that either.

If some Boras client craphead is going to insist on playing for the Yankees, then they get what they deserve.

[tomterp]

Only 13 more days till the signing deadline. 

 

[Lintyfresh85]

Only 13 more days till the signing deadline. 

 

Only 14 more days till Dunn signs an extension!

[houston-nat]

Stephen Strasburg's pointed advice for Bryce Harper:

"I don't have any advice for him. It's his decision. If he wants to play here, he's going to play here. He doesn't need advice from anybody to convince him otherwise. If he doesn't want to play here, then we don't want him here."

That's why I like the kid. ... I mean besides the being a good pitcher thing.

[CALSGR8]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2010/08/bryce_harper_to_be_introduced.html

Bryce Harper to be introduced on Thursday
Bryce Harper, the Nationals No. 1 draft pick this season who signed just before Monday's midnight deadline, will be introduced on Thursday at Nationals Park before the club plays the first of four games against St. Louis, according to Washington General Manager Mike Rizzo.

Harper, 17, and agent Scott Boras agreed to a deal worth $9.9 million over five years, including a signing bonus of $6.25 million for the outfielder. That's the most lucrative contract ever for a position player.

Harper's introduction comes on the same day pitcher Stephen Strasburg is scheduled to start, but that scenario appears improbable given an injury to the rookie in last night's 8-1 victory over Philadelphia. Strasburg hurt the flexor tendon in his right forearm in the fifth inning after throwing a 1-1 changeup to Domonic Brown, and he is on his way to D.C. for an MRI exam.

By Gene Wang  |  August 22, 2010; 12:43 PM ET
Categories:  Bryce Harper , Stephen Strasburg

[Kevrock]

Anyone seen people wearing custom Harper jerseys around yet?

[PANatsFan]

Anyone seen people wearing custom Harper jerseys around yet?

They are now off-limits to make. I should have made one before the signing and then put it on ebay

[CALSGR8]

Same thing happened with Strasburg.

[Burgess]

I don't know Harper that much but I've seen one or two vids where he was talking. When you draft a kid, you see if he is gonna succeed or not with his maturity and attitude. He seems calm, I think the kid will become something special, he has the fire in his eyes. He just needs to calm down and take it day by day because he won't have it easy thats for sure. I hope he succeeds.

[DPMOmaha]

Turn on the LLWS and see how many have Harper-esque eye black.  It's pretty astounding...

[Potomac Cannons]

Turn on the LLWS and see how many have Harper-esque eye black.  It's pretty astounding...

Been that way for a while.  It's fairly common in youth baseball...kind of a bonding thing for the kids good enough to be on travel teams etc.

[The Rock]

Turn on the LLWS and see how many have Harper-esque eye black.  It's pretty astounding...

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Fashion-Ump-Bryce-Harper-s-face-paint-hits-Litt?urn=mlb-265753

The Washington Nationals said prospect Bryce Harper (middle) had to abandon his eye-black face paint now that he's on the fast track to the big leagues as 2010's No. 1 draft pick.

But the John Randle-like look he wore in junior college is currently living on in the Little League World Series out in Williamsport, Pa. As Nationals Enquirer notes, you can tune into almost any youth game and see at least one of the tykes trying to look tough.

Even Harper himself has noticed the mascara-gone-wild trend and said he likes that the young ballplayers — who are not that much younger than his 18-year-old self —  are following in his bureau mirror (via MASN Sports): .

    "There's a lot of little kids that look up to you," Harper said. "To be able to start a trend like that, it's pretty great. I loved wearing the eye black. It was me. That's what made me Bryce. I didn't wear it for the first couple games, and I struggled. I put it on, and something just happened. It was electric."

Since I'm a crotchety old cuss, I suppose this is the part where I'm supposed to point out that all these young whippersnappers look as ridiculous as Harper did at the College of Southern Nevada and are clearly set out to destroy the sanctity of our national pastime.

But I dunno. I kinda like that they're taking their 12-year-old selves and trying to look all intimidating. Back when I played Pony League, we'd make sure our stirrups were pulled high and that our batting gloves peeked out of our back pockets just so when we were on the basepaths. We'd stuff our mouths full of Big League Chew and smear that eye black on our faces if anyone was lucky enough to have their dad bring it home from Herman's.

And why did we do it? All because we saw guys like Rickey Henderson and Andy Van Slyke and Lenny Dykstra doing it on television. All because we wanted to act older and look tougher than we were.

Will these kids grow up to realize they looked silly and maybe weren't following the best role models?

Probably, but that's really beside the point here. These kids are having fun. The time of their lives, really. And so long as they respect the game and ditch it before high school, I say keep slabbing that eye-black on like Harper used to do.

Well, so long as they know that tears of defeat will make it run.

P.S. — As for Harper, he's moved onto new fashion fronts. He showed up at Nationals Park on Thursday with a new Twilight-looking faux-hawk.

[DPMOmaha]

Been that way for a while.  It's fairly common in youth baseball...kind of a bonding thing for the kids good enough to be on travel teams etc.

First time I've watched the LLWS in about 5 years. MLB Network is showing a lot of youth baseball, a bit more advanced than the LLWS and they've got it there too...

[Potomac Cannons]

First time I've watched the LLWS in about 5 years. MLB Network is showing a lot of youth baseball, a bit more advanced than the LLWS and they've got it there too...

My nephew was a knee injury away from either the O's or Jays picking him this year as a LHP and he's been on teams wearing that mess for 5 years now.

[imref]

an early look at Harper's struggles at the FIL:

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/09/26/bryce-harper-tasting-failure-in-debut-not-ready-for-arizona-fal/

[Lintyfresh85]

Harper had a HR and 2B today in instructional league.

I guess the kid will be ok.

[imref]

So he goes to RF this spring and Morse takes first.

[JMW IV]

So he goes to RF this spring and Morse takes first.

bingo.

and MASN can show Harper's debut 60 times a month.

and don't forget to pay 60 bucks for the DVD...which consists of just that game only.

[Upark25]

So he goes to RF this spring and Morse takes first.

looks like a plan. 

[Upark25]

video of B-Harp hitting another homer in the Instructional League. youtube.com/watch?v=-7FHLUA6ckg