Author Topic: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)  (Read 113859 times)

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Offline Ray D

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1775: August 26, 2015, 10:39:17 AM »
I was at yesterday's game sitting next to some Milwaukee fans.  Every time Bryce came up, one of the fans yelled, "You're a bum, Harper!" 

Oh, so what.  I went to a Dodger game and every time Puig swung and missed I yelled "Nice swing, Puke".   Doesn't mean I hate Puig, it's all in fun.  Part of being a fan.

Offline Optics

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1776: August 26, 2015, 10:41:48 AM »
I was at yesterday's game sitting next to some Milwaukee fans.  Every time Bryce came up, one of the fans yelled, "You're a bum, Harper!"  After Harper hit two doubles, he shut up.  Jealousy brings out the worst in some fans.

Superstars are either universally loved or hated. Harper will be in the latter group, that same tier as guys like Barry Bonds and A-Rod(only without the 'roids, although those guys were despised before the 'roid stuff). He'll never be Ripken or Jeter.

Offline Ray D

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1777: August 26, 2015, 10:52:52 AM »
Superstars are either universally loved or hated.
I think hate is a very overused word.  The emotion I feel for Bonds and ARod is in a class by itself. Still, it's not hate; I reserve that for Hitler and the like.  (Ok here come the jokes about Rizzo.)  Guys like Kershaw, Trout, etc. I feel a mixture of awe and intimidation, certainly not hate.   I have a feeling that fans of other teams feel like that about Harper. 

Offline rbw5t

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1778: August 26, 2015, 04:11:28 PM »
Guys like Kershaw, Trout, etc. I feel a mixture of awe and intimidation, certainly not hate.   I have a feeling that fans of other teams feel like that about Harper. 

No, I think the common view of Harper is different.  I admire Trout and Kershaw, and resent them for not being on the team I root for.  I don't root against them, except when they're playing me.  I probably get more enjoyment out of them being good and putting up impressive performances than I do when they're slumping.  The guys people dislike -- ARod, Bonds, whoever else you don't like (including Harper for many), you hope the strike out and make an error and embarrass themselves even in games where you have no rooting interest.  I don't feel that way about Harper of course, but it's clear a lot of people do.  I think it's ok, bc as long as the home fans like him, I think he feeds on being a focus of the other team's fans.

Offline welch

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1779: August 26, 2015, 06:07:02 PM »
Odd because Harper does so many things right. He signs autographs for kids at CitiField, he continues until every one has an autograph...and they are all wearing Mets gear. He acts like a friendly young man at all times except when the ball is in play...in between innings, he hands baseballs to fans. When he was still at Harrisburg, we drove there to watch him. That was after the time he scored from first on a lazy play by the rightfielder...head-first slide that snapped his belt-buckle. We asked someone at the Senators' team store. She said, "The nicest young man young could possibly meet, and plays so hard it scares us sometimes. We're afraid he'll hurt himself because he doesn't seem afraid of hitting the wall. Not a bit. A really good kid".




Offline Baseball is Life

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1780: August 26, 2015, 07:02:18 PM »
Was it Reggie Jackson who said opposing fans don't boo bums?

Harper was portrayed when he came up (maybe rightfully so at the time) as an arrogant, brash hotshot and no matter what he does now, first impressions last with people.

I was at a bar in SF after the Friday night game that Scherzer was shelled...this Giants fan sees my Nats gear and he approaches me and wants to have a friendly conversation about how he can't decide who he hates more, Puig or Harper. I basically told him that neither Harper nor Nats fans give a crap what other fans around the league think about him and walked away.

I'm just glad the kid is on our side.

Offline Dschmiel

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1781: August 28, 2015, 12:31:43 PM »
MVPs don't go to players that don't make the playoffs.
I think he gets it.  It'll come down to Bryce, Goldschmidt, McCutchen, and Buster Posey.  If Bryce can hover around an OPS of 1.100 the rest of the year, and gets to around 85-90 RBIs and 35 homers (both very achievable), it should be his regardless of how the team finishes.  His outfield assists only add to his candidacy as well. 

The only concern is that Buster Posey is a bit of a media darling and may pick up some votes that way.   

Offline NatsGirl

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1782: August 28, 2015, 01:01:23 PM »
At the game at Dodger Stadium I went to, people were heckling Bryce the entire time, saying he deserved to get slapped, booing him for plays he didn't mess up (aka Rendon's error), yelling that they hated him, etc etc.  Two fans were even kicked out for going up to the barrier after Rendon's error to heckle Bryce and accidently pushing too much almost going on the field  :roll:

It was totally ridiculous.  And then this little kid who was a Nats fan sitting a row behind me cheered for Harper and we clapped with him.  The Dodgers fans threw peanuts at us.

Now maybe this is just a Dodgers thing, but I somehow doubt it.  It was beyond over the top and really crazy the level of hate the fans had for him.  I get that the other team is the enemy, but it seemed like Bryce was somehow turned into the baseball version of Hitler.  They were showering adoration onto Puig though, obviously.

Offline Slateman

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1783: August 28, 2015, 01:38:18 PM »
At the game at Dodger Stadium I went to, people were heckling Bryce the entire time, saying he deserved to get slapped, booing him for plays he didn't mess up (aka Rendon's error), yelling that they hated him, etc etc.  Two fans were even kicked out for going up to the barrier after Rendon's error to heckle Bryce and accidently pushing too much almost going on the field  :roll:

It was totally ridiculous.  And then this little kid who was a Nats fan sitting a row behind me cheered for Harper and we clapped with him.  The Dodgers fans threw peanuts at us.

Now maybe this is just a Dodgers thing, but I somehow doubt it.  It was beyond over the top and really crazy the level of hate the fans had for him.  I get that the other team is the enemy, but it seemed like Bryce was somehow turned into the baseball version of Hitler.  They were showering adoration onto Puig though, obviously.

Sounds like real fans

Offline BrandonK

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1784: August 28, 2015, 02:04:06 PM »
At the game at Dodger Stadium I went to, people were heckling Bryce the entire time, saying he deserved to get slapped, booing him for plays he didn't mess up (aka Rendon's error), yelling that they hated him, etc etc.  Two fans were even kicked out for going up to the barrier after Rendon's error to heckle Bryce and accidently pushing too much almost going on the field  :roll:

It was totally ridiculous.  And then this little kid who was a Nats fan sitting a row behind me cheered for Harper and we clapped with him.  The Dodgers fans threw peanuts at us.

Now maybe this is just a Dodgers thing, but I somehow doubt it.  It was beyond over the top and really crazy the level of hate the fans had for him.  I get that the other team is the enemy, but it seemed like Bryce was somehow turned into the baseball version of Hitler.  They were showering adoration onto Puig though, obviously.

Those are Dodgers fans for ya.

Offline dracnal

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1785: August 28, 2015, 02:11:21 PM »
Those are Dodgers fans for ya.

Yeah, the guys who beat people to death in the parking garage.

Offline Ray D

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1786: August 28, 2015, 02:27:47 PM »
When the Raiders were in LA for a few years, their fans were thugs and gang members.  It it the same with Dodger fans?

Offline dracnal

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1787: August 28, 2015, 02:30:55 PM »
When the Raiders were in LA for a few years, their fans were thugs and gang members.  It it the same with Dodger fans?

Well, there are many places that ban Washington Nationals hats. The red is um.. associated with things.  37 is also associated with something involving the Bloods (can't remember what precisely) but yeah, there's a fair amount of hate for Washington based on color.

Offline wj73

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1788: August 28, 2015, 03:37:20 PM »
Well, there are many places that ban Washington Nationals hats. The red is um.. associated with things. 

I was watching Bait Car in LA the other day, and kept seeing Curly W hats on the bad guys.  I figured it was something like that.   :smh:

Offline Ray D

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1789: August 28, 2015, 03:54:16 PM »
Well, there are many places that ban Washington Nationals hats.

Seriously, where?

Online imref

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1790: August 28, 2015, 04:18:06 PM »

Offline varoadking

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1791: August 28, 2015, 04:28:35 PM »
Seriously, where?

Baltimore...

Can I say that?


Offline Ray D

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1792: August 28, 2015, 04:36:18 PM »
Been to Baltimore with a Nats cap. Haven't been to North Korea though.

Offline Optics

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1793: August 28, 2015, 07:17:20 PM »
Been to Baltimore with a Nats cap. Haven't been to North Korea though.

Baltimore is worse

 :evil:

Offline NatsGirl

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1794: August 28, 2015, 10:11:36 PM »
When the Raiders were in LA for a few years, their fans were thugs and gang members.  It it the same with Dodger fans?

No everyone that was an jerk there was white collar...former frat boy types. 

I have heard about the Nats being associated with gangs out west.  Apparently the curly W stands for West Side...if you wear red you're a west coast blood, blue you're a crip. 

I would've rather sat with thugs and gang members, honestly.

Offline dracnal

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1795: September 01, 2015, 04:54:32 PM »
Seriously, where?

Was talking specifically about LA banning Nats hats. I've not heard of it outside there, and it's particular neighborhoods. But yeah, in gang areas, the businesses simply say 'Nope.'

Online imref

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1796: September 04, 2015, 12:32:58 AM »
What a day for Harper. Four walks, didn't swing at any of the 20 pitches he saw, yet scored four runs. Obp is now .460. Zuck points out that just 38% of pitches to him have been in the strike zone, lower that the 44% rate to Bonds when he set the single season walk record.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1797: September 04, 2015, 09:35:49 AM »
What a day for Harper. Four walks, didn't swing at any of the 20 pitches he saw, yet scored four runs. Obp is now .460. Zuck points out that just 38% of pitches to him have been in the strike zone, lower that the 44% rate to Bonds when he set the single season walk record.
That definitely works when Zimm (and others) are hitting.  At other times during the year I would have liked to see him go outside the strike zone a little to drive in runs but its a petty complaint.  He seems to have the Ted Williams approach.  If he swings at bad pitches will mess him up.

Offline Ray D

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1798: September 04, 2015, 01:23:51 PM »
That definitely works when Zimm (and others) are hitting.  At other times during the year I would have liked to see him go outside the strike zone a little to drive in runs but its a petty complaint. 

I don't know if it's really a petty complaint.  I think Joey Votto was target of Reds criticism by management earlier this season; he took "too many walks" when they expected offensive production from him.  Me, I'm not criticizing Harper (or Votto) I like their approaches, but apparently there are different schools of thought.

Offline madj55

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Re: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)
« Reply #1799: September 04, 2015, 01:24:57 PM »
I just want him to go on another home run rampage.