The Bryce Harper Compendium (2014)

[Tokeydog]

He was a beast this post season - played balls out

That he was!

I had a conversation with a baseball fan here at work and he gets the feeling that not many of Harper's teammates like his full throttle attitude and playing.  To me if one or two more Nats played with his passion then we wouldn't have sads today.  If only we could have injected some of them with Harper blood.

[wpa2629]

That he was!

I had a conversation with a baseball fan here at work and he gets the feeling that not many of Harper's teammates like his full throttle attitude and playing.  To me if one or two more Nats played with his passion then we wouldn't have sads today.  If only we could have injected some of them with Harper blood.

Different strokes for different folks - not everyone needs Rah Rah to be motivated

But the bats certainly needed something

[Slateman]

Nope. He is too fragile. I cant see him playing 100 games next season.

Ramos, Zimmerman, Harper, and Werth. We'll have the best DL in basbeall

[Baseball is Life]

Harper alone is going to be worth the price of admission next year.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Nope. He is too fragile. I cant see him playing 100 games next season.

Yep - he probably already has a back injury from trying to single-handedly carry the team through the NLDS.

[whytev]

next year I think you'll see span/rendon/werth/harper/zimmerman/desmond or maybe swap harper/zimmerman, but yeah next year Harper has to become the middle of the order 30 HR guy.   No more batting 6th.

Assuming re-sign Span, no other moves (which is unlikely), I'd go:

Span CF
Rendon 3B
Werth RF
Harper LF
Zimmerman 1B
Desmond SS
Ramos C
Espinosa 2B

Harper is cleanup because he can whack a run but his OBP and discipline are low.

Zimmerman hit great in the 5 spot when he came back from his hand.

When you consider Desmond a 6 or lower guy, he starts to look pretty good.  Ditto Ramos.

[varoadking]

Espinosa cannot start on this team,

[whytev]

Espinosa cannot start on this team,

I said "which is unlikely." I'm accepting that 2B is the only question mark, and the difference that position would make on the 1-6 spots is none.

[varoadking]

I said "which is unlikely." I'm accepting that 2B is the only question mark, and the difference that position would make on the 1-6 spots is none.

I don't care if Ramos plays second base...just not Espinosa.

[Slateman]

Assuming re-sign Span, no other moves (which is unlikely), I'd go:

Span CF
Rendon 3B
Werth RF
Harper LF
Zimmerman 1B
Desmond SS
Ramos C
Espinosa 2B

Harper is cleanup because he can whack a run but his OBP and discipline are low.

Zimmerman hit great in the 5 spot when he came back from his hand.

When you consider Desmond a 6 or lower guy, he starts to look pretty good.  Ditto Ramos.

Werth should not be hitting third. He isn't "that guy." Zim is that guy.

Given his drop in power, I think Werth would be great in the two hole and let Rendon slot in to the five hole to give Harper protection.

[Slateman]

Espinosa cannot start on this team,

Won the division by 10+ games. We can afford to let Espinosa start, especially if he turns out to be able to hit moderately from the right side exclusively.

[imref]

MLB tonight had a big debate on Harper's post-HR jawing at the pitcher, and his admiring the HR.  I had no problem with it, but i can see Giants fans/players getting upset.

[whytev]

MLB tonight had a big debate on Harper's post-HR jawing at the pitcher, and his admiring the HR.  I had no problem with it, but i can see Giants fans/players getting upset.

He wasn't admiring so much as looking at a wind-grabbed almost foul shot to see if it was good or not...with total amazement.

[imref]

Won the division by 10+ games. We can afford to let Espinosa start, especially if he turns out to be able to hit moderately from the right side exclusively.

Cabrera had some clutch hits, but on the whole he was not really much of an improvement.

[whytev]

Cabrera had some clutch hits, but on the whole he was not really much of an improvement.

They batted equally well, but Cabrera did it when it mattered more.  The X factor.

Say what you will about his range, but Cabrera looked great on the field.

One issue is that Cabrera also hits lefties better than righties.  So when that platoon was going, his average was coming down.  But yeah he's going to want more than he's worth for sure.

If everyone else performs as they should, Espinosa can start.  Seriously.

But the bench needs to improve.  Franny is great, Lobaton really picked up at the end there, we're stuck with McLouth and we can hope he pulls it together and returns to form.

The Hairston spot is crucial.  We need a guy fighting to take away someone else's job or to make himself platoon-worthy in there.  Promoting Souza assuming the plan of resting Werth 20 games, resting Zimmerman and putting Werth on 1st 20 games, resting Span and Harper 10 each...that gets him 60 starts to play with, injury relief, probably at least 50 pinch hit appearances...That's almost 300 plate appearances.  I think it might be time to just bring the kid up and groom him.

[imref]

The Hairston spot is crucial.  We need a guy fighting to take away someone else's job or to make himself platoon-worthy in there.  Promoting Souza assuming the plan of resting Werth 20 games, resting Zimmerman and putting Werth on 1st 20 games, resting Span and Harper 10 each...that gets him 60 starts to play with, injury relief, probably at least 50 pinch hit appearances...That's almost 300 plate appearances.  I think it might be time to just bring the kid up and groom him.

i have no problem with that, though I still think we trade him.

[whytev]

i have no problem with that, though I still think we trade him.

A prospect or 2 (Taylor, Souza) to put in there after Span is better than shelling out on the free agent market.

Look at these playoffs.  Our top draft picks (Rendon, Harper) were crucial.  Our free agent signings (Werth, LaRoche), not so much.

Developing your own players is the way you get the best bargains.

Trading can be lucrative, and Rizzo is good at it.

Free agency is a last resort.  It's a way of paying the most to plug a hole, and inadvertently tying up too much money for too long.  That includes, sometimes, re-signing your own people.

[GNatsNoMore]

Not where I come from!

The people you're talking about are not practicing Mormons, anymore than Jews for Jesus are practicing Jews.

[The Chief]

MLB tonight had a big debate on Harper's post-HR jawing at the pitcher, and his admiring the HR.  I had no problem with it, but i can see Giants fans/players getting upset.

freak 'em.  And freak Tim Hudson too for good measure.

[whytev]

The people you're talking about are not practicing Mormons, anymore than Jews for Jesus are practicing Jews.

Yeah I know.

This is what goes down in my neck of the woods:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bountiful,_British_Columbia

Disgusting.

By the way, I dislike most religions, and almost always due to the extreme versions of them such as this.

[Baseball is Life]

MLB tonight had a big debate on Harper's post-HR jawing at the pitcher, and his admiring the HR.  I had no problem with it, but i can see Giants fans/players getting upset.

Harper is the most scrutinized player in the history of the sport.

He did not admire the homer in any way. But he did yell at the pitcher. I'm not sure he intended it to be heard or not. He was just pumped up, I guess

If he played on the Giants, their fans would just say he plays with emotion. So that's what I'm going with too.

[Baseball is Life]

freak 'em.  And freak Tim Hudson too for good measure.

Right on. I've basically gotten to the point where that's my standard reply to the Harper haters who scrutinize and criticize his every move.

[spidernat]

MLB tonight had a big debate on Harper's post-HR jawing at the pitcher, and his admiring the HR.  I had no problem with it, but i can see Giants fans/players getting upset.

What they are probably overlooking is what went on at Nationals Park the night Harper hit the first moonshot off Strickland. Strickland was so pissed off that he stared Harper down with a dirty look as Harper rounded the bases. Strickland must be the type that gets bent out of shape when you own him by going deep because he did the same thing to Cabrera when he took him yard. I'm sure Harper had heard about it so the next time he owned him he looked back at him and gave him a piece of his mind. freak Strickland. I hate pitchers who can't accept that someone can get the best of them.

[The Chief]

I hate pitchers who can't accept that someone can get the best of them.

You mean like Tim "[Olsen] doesn't really have no-hit stuff" Hudson?  Or should I call him Tim "this mound feels funny, come mess with it" Hudson?  Either way, freak that guy.

Man.  Sports fans have long memories.  I couldn't tell you a single thing about that day, week or probably the whole month, but I remember that crap.

[mitlen]

What they are probably overlooking is what went on at Nationals Park the night Harper hit the first moonshot off Strickland. Strickland was so pissed off that he stared Harper down with a dirty look as Harper rounded the bases. Strickland must be the type that gets bent out of shape when you own him by going deep because he did the same thing to Cabrera when he took him yard. I'm sure Harper had heard about it so the next time he owned him he looked back at him and gave him a piece of his mind. freak Strickland. I hate pitchers who can't accept that someone can get the best of them.

That's the way it works with Harp  ...   like the kiss thing.    He's like the second guy in with a hockey fight and a retaliation in football.    The media is especially caught up in his actions (responses).