The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015)

[PC]

They're just happy for the distraction from Two-Faced Harvey, I hate wishing injury on anyone but it would be so Metsian to see him arm fall off tomorrow

God, this is so awful but I was just thinking about this but not about Harvey.  I was thinking about Jose Fernandez.  With less than a month left in the season, he's coming back to face the Nationals TWICE!  Not once but twice and completely miss the Mets.

I didn't think, "I hope he gets injured" but I did think, why would I ever be in the position to possibly think that someone getting injured might be beneficial.   I know he's not doing it on purpose.  He doesn't care.  The Marlins don't care.  It's purely a coincidence but it's a bad coincidence.   

Note: I've used the terms "ugly particulars" and "bad coincidence" tonight, fwiw.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

They're just happy for the distraction from Two-Faced Harvey, I hate wishing injury on anyone but it would be so Metsian to see him arm fall off tomorrow

I have taken to stop wishing injuries on players and now just wish they are busted for PEDs.  It is for their own good.

[Minty Fresh]

Joel Sherman ‏@Joelsherman1  5h5 hours ago

U know what's "brutal"? Swinging 2-0 at what likely was Ball 3 in 9th inning with tying run on deck to play hero ball or pad stats #Natitude

Joel Sherman is a freaking nitwit.

[Optics]

You don't criticize the paying customer. Ever.

Bryce should worry less about fans leaving and more about actually producing in big moments. As has been the case all year he hits homers in solo meaningless spots but rarely comes through with the game on the line. Meanwhile Cespedes just hits gappers to drive in runs effortlessly.

[madj55]

Harper's two late ABs were brutal. Up 3-0 in the first one and Ks. Up 2-0 in the second one and Ks. Went fishing in both ABs.

[WashingtonWizards23]

Nope. Not MVP. He chokes under pressure just like drew storen.

[PowerBoater69]

Twice last night he stopped running to first on grounders, the Mets drop the ball and he's got a chance to get on via error but he quit. MVP stats make up for some lazy play, but don't call out the fan base and then not show up to play.

[PC]

Don't let the crappy play of the bullpen hide the fact that Bryce has gone 0 for 8 in the two biggest games of the season.

Last night, Werth had two hits, Rendon had two hits, Escobar had THREE hits, CLINT ROBINSON HAD TWO HITS!

...and Bryce's 0 for 4 turd was right in the middle of all of those players.

[Natsinpwc]

Twice last night he stopped running to first on grounders, the Mets drop the ball and he's got a chance to get on via error but he quit. MVP stats make up for some lazy play, but don't call out the fan base and then not show up to play.

I saw that in his second at bat. Jogged to first. Great hitter but spoiled brat and didn't come through.

[Dixon Ward]

What a bum!

[HattoriHanzo]

You'll all miss him when he goes to play for the yankees and hits 60 plus with that short porch.   The Lerner's will have to overpay drastically to keep him in dc.   Even that may not be enough if the team cannot win a championship.  When his contract is up he'll sign with the team that pays the best while giving him  the best chance to win and that is sadly the yankees. 

[Slateman]

You'll all miss him when he goes to play for the yankees and hits 60 plus with that short porch.   The Lerner's will have to overpay drastically to keep him in dc.   Even that may not be enough if the team cannot win a championship.  When his contract is up he'll sign with the team that pays the best while giving him  the best chance to win and that is sadly the yankees. 

No I won't. Because the trade that Rizzo makes before letting Harper walk will set this team up for years of success.

[PC]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/642049500442435584/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[imref]

i saw an article earlier, i think on fangraphs, talking about the case for Cespedis as MVP, but he isn't even MVP on his own team (granderson has had a better year).

[HalfSmokes]

at the end of the year, the stories written about the nats will be about choke jobs, collapses, and failure. I can't see the same writers then voting giving national mvp 

[tomterp]

Twice last night he stopped running to first on grounders, the Mets drop the ball and he's got a chance to get on via error but he quit. MVP stats make up for some lazy play, but don't call out the fan base and then not show up to play.

He still has the glute injury, it's especially painful when he starts running from the box.

[rbw5t]

I think it will be hard not to give it to him.  There is no other obvious candidate.  Even though there is a clear bias in favor of players on playoff teams, the Cards, Pirates, Dodgers, Mets and Cubs don't have a player who's put up close the numbers Harper has.  Bryce will also benefit from both leading in traditional categories that old timers look at like batting average and runs, as well as dominating the new fancy stats like OPS and WAR.  My guess is he will still win, as he should.

[Ray D]

Harper for MVP is a farce.   It makes a mockery of the award: it isn't for BEST player in the league (which he is) it's for the player who was most valuable, meaning the one most responsible for the team's success.   If the team has no success (nevermind has a disaster of a season and is a complete embarassment) no player from that team should be MVP.   

Cespedes is clearly the NL MVP, assuming the Mets win the division.  He is almost solely responsible for their success.

[UMDNats]

Twice last night he stopped running to first on grounders, the Mets drop the ball and he's got a chance to get on via error but he quit. MVP stats make up for some lazy play, but don't call out the fan base and then not show up to play.

[Kevrock]

Harper for MVP is a farce.   It makes a mockery of the award: it isn't for BEST player in the league (which he is) it's for the player who was most valuable, meaning the one most responsible for the team's success.   If the team has no success (nevermind has a disaster of a season and is a complete embarassment) no player from that team should be MVP.   

Cespedes is clearly the NL MVP, assuming the Mets win the division.  He is almost solely responsible for their success.

The debate every year is what valuable means, there are different schools of thought on this and it's so exhausting.

[whytev]

Harper for MVP is a farce.   It makes a mockery of the award: it isn't for BEST player in the league (which he is) it's for the player who was most valuable, meaning the one most responsible for the team's success.   If the team has no success (nevermind has a disaster of a season and is a complete embarassment) no player from that team should be MVP.   

Cespedes is clearly the NL MVP, assuming the Mets win the division.  He is almost solely responsible for their success.

I would argue that the only good player on a bad team is clearly the most valuable to his team.

[Ray D]

The debate every year is what valuable means, there are different schools of thought on this and it's so exhausting.

Fair enough, but how would you define "valuable" in a way that Harper would qualify as MVP?

[varoadking]

Fair enough, but how would you define "valuable" in a way that Harper would qualify as MVP?

It's kinda like the "Heart and Hustle Award" anyway.  It's like - I have the nicest yard in my subdivision and have had it for the past 18 years.  Someone else always gets "Yard of the Month."  Who really cares? 

Where's my ring, damnit!

[BeltwayBaseball]

Fair enough, but how would you define "valuable" in a way that Harper would qualify as MVP?

Here's one definition, the fact that he's provided insane production for essentially peanuts. Production - price = value. A purely sabermetric definition.

[HattoriHanzo]

Cespedes for mvp is a freaking joke.  His total season numbers pale in comparison to Harp and Goldie.