Meet the next "LeBron", Bryce Harper!

[Deehntr56]

I have followed this young talent since 12 years old.

Over the years he hasn't had a bad season, or just did so-so. He gets better every year.

570 foot home runs......

96 mph fastball....

Throws out runners from his knees....

He's only 16 Years Old!!!:D

Meet Bryce Harper....


One rainy February day in Las Vegas, home to a fake pyramid, a phony volcano, a faux Eiffel Tower, an ersatz New York skyline, a pirated copy of a pirate ship and the clever sleights-of-hand of magicians and plastic surgeons, Sam Thomas watched two men stretching a tape measure across South Hollywood Boulevard, reaffirming that there was at least one real deal in town. Thomas is the baseball coach at Las Vegas High, and the two men were his assistant coaches. The pair had come out in the rain to revisit the spot where, in a game the previous spring, a baseball had made landfall, a dimple in the desert, a tiny crater left in the sand by a home run off the bat of Las Vegas High catcher Bryce Harper, then a 15-year-old freshman.

The lefthanded Harper had hit the ball over the rightfield fence, two trees, another fence, a sidewalk, five lanes of traffic on elevated South Hollywood Boulevard and yet another sidewalk, until it finally landed in the brown, undeveloped desert. It might as well have been a flying saucer, judging by the grin on Thomas's face as he recalls the distance the ball traveled.

"Five-seventeen," it sounds as if Thomas is saying.

Five hundred seventeen feet?!

"No," Thomas says. Of course not. That would be preposterous. No 15-year-old kid could hit a baseball 517 feet.

"Five-seventy," Thomas clarifies......................



http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1156215/index.htm

[bowhunter1023]

The kid is unreal that's for sure. Today, they anounced that he is leaving high school two years early after getting his GED to enroll at a Junior College in order to prep for the draft. Seems kind of far out, but I don't see much of a problem with it. The kid is no doubt destine for the MLB and he might as well start now. Other kids go to golf and tennis school at the ages of 10 or younger. So why should this kid not take the right steps to ensure he gets the most out of his future? I hope he brings baseball back from the depths. He should be fun to watch...

[TheCream]

The kid is unreal that's for sure. Today, they anounced that he is leaving high school two years early after getting his GED to enroll at a Junior College in order to prep for the draft. Seems kind of far out, but I don't see much of a problem with it. The kid is no doubt destine for the MLB and he might as well start now. Other kids go to golf and tennis school at the ages of 10 or younger. So why should this kid not take the right steps to ensure he gets the most out of his future? I hope he brings baseball back from the depths. He should be fun to watch...

True, but most of them finished high school. Tiger Woods didn't drop out of high school to go play golf, he even went to Stanford for a few years before turning pro. This is an unprecedented move in this day and age for an American baseball player, and in rare circumstances like his, I can see it working out for him. I just hope it doesn't open the floodgates for more kids to do this that don't make the bigs. Even this kid is no "lock." Look at the drafts of the major sports and you'll see that MLB draftees have the lowest success rate. The Reds 1st round selection a few years back, Ryan Wagner, was a "can't miss" pitcher. He is now out of the league less than 5 years later. If Harper doesn't make it and winds up having to find work with only his GED, this could go down as one of the dumbest moves in recent sports history.

[Deehntr56]

This is a tough call.

I myself believe that an education is a "must" no matter what you do.

I also believe you "peak" at what your good at once...maybe twice in your life.

Timing it and making the right decision at the right time is crucial if you want to make the most of it.

I personally believe his parents and the young Harper believe he is at the point in his young career to get as much as he can out of it, along with a college education paid for by the team that drafts him. He may(will) acquire that in the negotiating process if he is drafted and he wants to do that. That may be part of the plan.

I heard about this "kid" when my son was 14 and we were playing in a tournament in Indiana. We heard a team flew him in to play on a 12 year old team in their bracket. He hit 3 home runs in one game that we saw. His arm speed is incredible and his swing speed was clocked at over 100 mph recently.

[bowhunter1023]

If it were my kid, he would finish school. But in the scheme of things these days, I don't see the big deal. I too value education and that is why I would make my kid finish high school at the very least. If I had a child with that kind of talent, I would do whatever I could to ensure he had the brightest future possible and I think that is what his parents are doing. To them, it is the right decision and who are we to say it is not. I'm sure if he blows a knee, elbow, or shoulder playing JuCo, then it will look like a stupid move. But he could do the same next year in high school. Every move at this point is a gamble until the millions start rolling in...

[TheCream]

Can he even enroll in a JuCo if he is only 15 or 16 years old? :confused:

Isn't he only a Sophomore in high school? Would this mean he goes straight to the minors or could he somehow play college baseball? Clearly not having a high school diploma would exclude him from (hopefully) all D1 baseball schools...unless John Calipari is coaching baseball, too, at Kentucky. :whistle:

[OhioBoy86]

I wish the kid nothing but the best, but we are setting him up for failure already. Unlike basketball, baseball has a high injury risk when it comes to injuries related to ending careers (i.e Tommy John surgery). Although this has become a commonality among pitchers and position players due to year round baseball, weight training programs and the pressure of coaches and parents to pick one sport. I'm not saying this is going to happen to Harper, looking at him he is physically ahead of the curve by a significant amount among the majority of his peers, however throwing a baseball at 96 MPH is forcing the UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) in your elbow to redline to the point of rupture with every throw. Harper has also been a hired gun for travel and elite teams from an early age of 12. Teams would pay his airfare, meals hotels etc in order for him to play for them at elite tournaments, his body rarely gets a rest, which can only further increase his chances of injury. Add the fact that although he has played against Junior National teams and extremely high levels of competition, all of his competition has been on the amature level, which is a far cry from the sinking and rising fastballs, exploding breaking balls, and nasty changeups. He will still have a great deal to learn as a hitter and will likely be moved to a different position other than catcher and will not pitch due to his hitting abilities. There have been man high draft picks and number 1 picks that have never reached their supposed potential according to MLB scouts. Then there are the Josh Hamiltons the world who was picked ahead of Josh Beckett (Hamilton #1 and Beckett #2). Hamilton nearly ruined his career due to drug addictions, but made a recovery and is now tearing up the bigs when healthy. My point is there is a HUGE amount of pressure on this kid both physically and mentally no matter what he may tell the media.....just my two cents:whistle:

[OhioBoy86]

Can he even enroll in a JuCo if he is only 15 or 16 years old? :confused:

Isn't he only a Sophomore in high school? Would this mean he goes straight to the minors or could he somehow play college baseball? Clearly not having a high school diploma would exclude him from (hopefully) all D1 baseball schools...unless John Calipari is coaching baseball, too, at Kentucky. :whistle:

He can take summer courses and earn his GED, thus completing his high school education requirements and make him eligible for a JUCO, that way he wont have to go to a NCAA school and stay for 3 years as is mandatory for college baseball. The other thing was was rumored was he could go to the Dominican Republic, play down there and sign as a free agent. There are many players from the DR that are signed as 17 year olds etc...

[Deehntr56]

He can take summer courses and earn his GED, thus completing his high school education requirements and make him eligible for a JUCO, that way he wont have to go to a NCAA school and stay for 3 years as is mandatory for college baseball. The other thing was was rumored was he could go to the Dominican Republic, play down there and sign as a free agent. There are many players from the DR that are signed as 17 year olds etc...

This is correct on JUCO. Harper will be a Junior this fall.

We had Juniors here taking courses at a JUCO earning credits while in High school. This was mainly for the purpose of getting "ahead" and paying cheaper per credit rates.

The Dominican Republic was also an option, but the family has just about ruled that out, he wants to play here.

In reagrds to pressure, he has been under that since age 12. He has been put in game situations above his menatlity level and ability level and done very well.

Now, the Major leagues will be a whole different story, and he has the tools to play the game there. It will depend on his ability to learn, adjust and play the game at another level.

His past experiences playing against older players and seeing a higher level of play has prepared him to take the next step. It will depend on his ability to learn the 'technique" on hitting nasty breaking balls and curves(The ability to read them as they leave the pitchers hand, and sitting back and waiting for the pitch work into the strike zone)...that's if he chooses not to be a pitcher. His bat speed will allow him to handle the fast balls in the majors...it will come down to him understanding the breaking balls.

If he chooses to pitch, his success wil be his ability to keep batters off balance by setting them up with his fastball, which should reach 100 mph in a year or two, and then being able to develop a breaking ball, curve ball sequence to compliment, or vice versa.

What REALLY impresses me about him is hit bat speed. He avearges 100 mph or so already.....hitting 570 foot home runs as a 16 year old...you don't see that many major leaguers do that...but agian he isn't facing major league pitchers either. :biggrin:

He has the ability to play just about anywhere he wants. I would love to see him as a catcher....I think that is where he can command the most out of his ability.

He has his work cut out for him...and lots of pressure...but his attitude to be in the hall of fame and play the game, may power him to do well.

It will be interesting to watch the next few years.

[OhioBoy86]

Catcher is the most risky for him as far as longevity is concerned though. Knees and arms break down, thus hindering his great foot speed. Plus we don't know how his game calling abilities go as far as outside of high school games. During the travel games and USA games, coaches may be calling pitches, it would be interesting to see how such a young kid would handle developed players who are 10 years older than him in many cases. I love his bat speed, that is something that really wont break down. However, his arm again is an issue. Surem young players develop and throw harder in most cases upon reaching pro ball, however he is much more deveolped already than many pitchers that are drafted and it is no guarantee that he reach any higher on the gun, not only that but you again have to look at the possibility of arm injuries ala Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Joel Zumaya and the list goes on. Not to say every hard thrower breaks down, but it certainly makes it more probable. The Nationals may be his team, should they not improve and also if they are unable to sign Strasburg, they will get the compensation pick next year if Harper really does come out early

[Deehntr56]

I agree on the catcher position, with the added stress on the knees etc. But many major league catchers have committed to that and done well. I think his "prototype baseball player body" can handle that position. With his speed, he can be a center fielder as well.

Think about it for a minute...he has the "ability" to play several positions...not many do.

I use to have a catcher on one of my summer teams...I think he started with us as a 14 year old. I got a call from a local coach, and he asked me to take him on and work with him to be a pitcher. He currently was a position player....Catcher. He was a lefty.:confused:A left hand throwing catcher:confused: I said Jason, you need to learn to pitch. You have the arm, but man your wasting your time as a catcher.

He fought it for a year, and then he tried it as a freshman and then started as a sophomore....and recieved a full ride schlorship to Cinci as a junior. He went 9-1 this past year with an 1.21 era in a Division 1 High school program. They made it to the Regionals and lost to St Ignatius, a team he personally beat twice this year, but they got to him the third time.:biggrin:

Good kid...will do well.

[bowhunter1023]

I caught for 14 years and I have the knees to show for it. I would not change it for the world and I still catch in my adult baseball league, but my knees are so shot its not funny. Getting them drained and cleaned is the next step and I'm not sure how much longer surgery will wait. Some guys seems to have knees of steel, but I was not one of them. Let's hope this kid has 'em...

[Deehntr56]

1023.....I bet climbing up the stand or using a climber can be challenging on certain days!!!:biggrin:

[bowhunter1023]

1023.....I bet climbing up the stand or using a climber can be challenging on certain days!!!:biggrin:

The worst is those cold sits in the late season. If I sit too long, the fluid in my left knee causes it to lock up sometimes. That is why I stand most of the time. If I sit for more than 30 minutes or so and then I try to stand, I have trouble. And when I do get upright, my knees pop really loud. I have actually had deer stop and look around trying to pinpoint the noise. LOL!

[Deehntr56]

The worst is those cold sits in the late season. If I sit too long, the fluid in my left knee causes it to lock up sometimes. That is why I stand most of the time. If I sit for more than 30 minutes or so and then I try to stand, I have trouble. And when I do get upright, my knees pop really loud. I have actually had deer stop and look around trying to pinpoint the noise. LOL!

LOL....Yes, I am sure that would hurt.

I had a catcher that was blocking the plate, and the runner from another team, who happened to be pretty large, came sliding in "high".....

I was coaching 3rd base, and I knew with the intensity of the scream, it was not going to be pretty.

When I got there, I settled him down, took his pads off the right leg, looked over to my asst coach, nodded, and he was on the cell phone immediately to get paramedics here...

Thankfully, it didn't break the skin, but it was very evident we had a serious situation here(You can easily see the break of the bones and the angle of the breaks under the skin). Broke his lower leg bone in 2 places. He was out for a year.

The discussion(Arguement) bewteen me and the ump after I took care of "Zac" went from "why the hell did he allow that player to stay in the game, when it was evident he "intentionally" slid high, to take him out.

It wasn't a pretty conversation. The boys still beat their best pitcher and team 7-3!