Once upon a time, there were two wonderful young ball players.
Fantasy drafters couldn't wait to put these two on their rosters. After drafting one or both of them, they went to bed that night with dreams of home runs dancing through their heads.
The problem being, that we have to wake up. And face reality.
Mike Trout went on to become the Meryl Streep of the fantasy industry. It didn't matter what the other players did, Trout and Streep are the victors in the end. Trout has fulfilled almost every fantasy.
When stealing 16 bases last year, Trout owners were even a little disappointed. This is a little like the Angels being disappointed that he didn't also broadcast the game as well as play.
Trout exudes a quiet confidence and feels no need for drama.
If there are cameras, he pretends like he does not notice. He feels no need to seek them out.
Trout has Streep elegance and focus.
Trout is the undisputed number one pick and will be taken first in all big drafts.
He is the older son who has done everything his parents dreamed for him.
Bryce Harper is the younger son.
If Trout has become the Meryl Streep of baseball, Harper has taken the Kim Kardasian route.
Harper knows he's as good as Trout.
Strike that.
He knows he's better than Trout.
The problem being that fantasy drafters bid him up thinking the same thing, only to have Harper prick their balloon, while Trout balloons their prick.
Harper is a drama queen. He's in a lot of commercials, magazines, and on E.
His confidence is loud, even when his bat is silent.
His elegance and focus, Puigesque.
He tells the Nats who should be in the lineup. He wears hats designed to fall off his head when rounding bases.
He says he's playing opossum even if not.
Harper only hires an agent because all the cool kids do. In reality, he is his own best promoter.
Harper is the wayward son who is making his own path.
And what about Harper as a fantasy player?
He drives me crazy. He'll lollygag on easier balls hit to him. But if a ball is hit near a fence or wall, Harper is on full tilt as if on a prank show. The harder the crash or sprawl afterwards, the more attention.
It's the Kardasian in him. He can't help it.
Some will call that hustle.
I call it an unnecessary dl trip.
As a hitter, every baseball fan can see the talent. I was in attendance when he hit the farthest opposite field homer I've ever seen. BY ANYBODY. AND, he was just 17 when he did it.
This year, Harper could be the only left handed hitter in the Nats lineup at times. Dependant on who plays for Denard Span till he gets back in the lineup.
It could help Harper in that other teams will want to throw right handed starters against that kind of lineup.
Harper has to make hay here and I wouldn't blame fantasy owners for drafting him for this reason.
He'll also do well in 'trash at bats'. These are the times when the Nats are way up and the opposing club will throw an innings eater reliever (usually a right hander).
The demerit for Harper will be that he will see several left handed specialists during the season. There is no other hitter in the Nats lineup to use these specialists. Harper will see them all.
It hurts.
Harper has only hit 11 home runs off any lefties over his young career.
Some drafters may have Harper in their top 15 players.
You may be surprised that I don't have him in my top 15 OUTFIELDERS.
I see the same Bryce Harper this year as I saw last year.
A youngster who feels the game should come to him.
A youngster who gets in his own way.
A youngster who knows he is better than Mike Trout.
A youngster who still hasn't figured out how to show that he is better than Trout, on the field.
I Don't Want To Be Like Mike...I'm Better!
I Don't Want To Be Like Mike...I'm Better!
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
Re: I Don't Want To Be Like Mike...I'm Better!
You nailed him Dough.
Could we forward this to Bryce ? ... not that it would matter, he'll probably need a good 10-15 years to recognize that his ego is both a detriment to his performance and an annoyance to his teammates.
Could we forward this to Bryce ? ... not that it would matter, he'll probably need a good 10-15 years to recognize that his ego is both a detriment to his performance and an annoyance to his teammates.
Re: I Don't Want To Be Like Mike...I'm Better!
timely writing .....
Proving that MLB players and Internet commenters sometimes agree, Bryce Harper was voted the "most overrated player" in baseball in a poll of his peers conducted recently by ESPN The Magazine. Harper, the 22-year-old Washington Nationals outfielder, garnered a whopping 41 percent of the vote.
Proving that MLB players and Internet commenters sometimes agree, Bryce Harper was voted the "most overrated player" in baseball in a poll of his peers conducted recently by ESPN The Magazine. Harper, the 22-year-old Washington Nationals outfielder, garnered a whopping 41 percent of the vote.
Re: I Don't Want To Be Like Mike...I'm Better!
Holy Cow!
At the same time, I'm not surprised at all.
Worse, I get the feeling that Harper is satisfied with his work.
I never get a sense that he wants to reach another level.
That he is happy with his play and sees no reason to change a thing.
A damned shame.
At the same time, I'm not surprised at all.
Worse, I get the feeling that Harper is satisfied with his work.
I never get a sense that he wants to reach another level.
That he is happy with his play and sees no reason to change a thing.
A damned shame.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
Re: I Don't Want To Be Like Mike...I'm Better!
He'll be buoyed for a while by the "Remember he's only . . ." -- but for how long?
-
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:00 pm
Re: I Don't Want To Be Like Mike...I'm Better!
Agree.... never had him on one of my teams.