Bryce Harper immature? A little, but humble and worth every penny.
[Editor's note: This story was updated.]
Washington Nationals prospect Bryce Harper blew a kiss to an opposing pitcher after homering in the sixth inning of a minor league game Monday evening, sending scores of baseball elder statesmen rushing to microphones across the country to chide Harper鈥檚 temerity. Hall of Fame third basement Mike Schmidt , for example, that Harper would have set off a bench-clearing brawl with the same antics in a Major League game.
With a $9.9 million contract and nicknames from 鈥�The Natural鈥� (as in Robert Redford鈥檚 divinely talented 1984 silver screen hero) to 鈥淟eBryce鈥� (in the vein of fellow athletic wunderkind LeBron James), it鈥檚 easy to see how the 18-year-old slugger has pressure to act out. But with the way Harper has been punishing minor league pitching and the effect he鈥檚 had on the Hagerstown Suns organization, it points strongly toward one conclusion: the kid from Las Vegas is worth every dime.
First, while Harper has shown bouts of immaturity, many have noted his humility and willingness to be an absolute team player.
Suns owner Bruce Quinn noted that in terms of 鈥渙ff-the-field behavior and demeanor, he鈥檚 learning, he鈥檚 a young kid. But I get kind of get aggravated when I hear people say things like: 'He鈥檚 not signing autographs. I haven鈥檛 seen him walk past a kid [looking for a signature] 鈥� ever. That鈥檚 the reality.鈥�
As ESPN鈥檚 Jerry Crasnick , Harper takes pains to sign plenty of autographs and has made himself at home on the roster even with his clear fast track to the big leagues. That鈥檚 not to mention the ribbing Harper gets at every stop: At a recent game in New Jersey, fans got a 20 percent voucher for the local International House of Pancakes if Harper went down on strikes. And that鈥檚 the kind part -- the part that doesn鈥檛 involve being the only recognizable player in minor league ballparks where the jeers from the cheap seats can be easily heard.
What kind of production is that $10 million buying the Nationals? Simply put, Harper is punishing Class A pitching. He鈥檚 tied for the South Atlantic League (SAL) lead in homeruns with 14 despite nearly 20 fewer plate appearances than fellow slugger Adam Duvall of the Augusta GreenJackets. He鈥檚 also sixth in the league in average at .342, tied for third in RBIswith 42, and fourth in slugging percentage at .623. While Harper isn鈥檛 facing major league pitching, consider that the Chicago Cubs are paying second baseman/outfielder Alfonso Soriano $19 million this year for his 12 home runs and .271 average.
On a team level, you couldn鈥檛 ask for much more: the Suns are 35-23, the SAL鈥檚 best record and 1.5 games ahead of the Greensboro Grasshoppers in the league鈥檚 northern division.
That production only adds to Harper鈥檚 supernova star power, which, according to Mr. Quinn, has not only been a boon to the Suns but to the parent Nationals as well. Quinn notes that Hagerstown, a city in northwestern Maryland roughly 70 miles from both the Baltimore Orioles鈥� home in Camden Yards and Nationals鈥� Park in Washington, D.C., was once a town of split baseball allegiances. No longer, he believes.
The locals 鈥渉ave a bond with Bryce Harper and it will continue through to the Major Leagues. The Nationals have picked up a key stronghold here in Hagerstown,鈥� he said. Even after Harper moves on, 鈥渉e鈥檒l leave a fingerprint here in Hagerstown and the biggest benefactor is going to be the Washington Nationals.鈥�
That said, it isn鈥檛 as if Harper has been hurting the Suns鈥� ticket sales. Attendance is ahead of last year鈥檚 pace and 鈥渨hen we go on the road, we鈥檙e selling those venues out, too,鈥� Quinn said. That鈥檚 in addition to all the Harper merchandise flying off the shelves for as much as $200 for a replica jersey or $27 for a T-shirt bearing Harper鈥檚 number.
Those looking to ascertain Harper鈥檚 value might also consider 2009鈥檚 top pick, Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg, a towering strikeout maestro from San Diego State University, inked a deal even bigger than Harper鈥檚 when he was drafted by the National鈥檚 鈥� $15.1 million over four years.
Unfortunately, after blazing his way into the greater Washington, D.C., area鈥檚 sports conscience with a transcendent 14-strikeout debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Strasburg was laid low by an injury requiring 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation. While Strasburg proved he could handle Major League hitters, injuries to young pitchers can leave even some of the game鈥檚 top hurlers 鈥� like the Cubs Mark Prior, among others 鈥� without the juice that made them great.
Unlike pitchers and Harper鈥檚 former position, catcher, outfielders just don鈥檛 have the same risk.
All in all, just under $10 million for the first four years of LeBryce鈥檚 career doesn鈥檛 look too shabby. Especially if he works out like his idol 鈥� Harper wears 34 because the numbers add up to seven, the number of Yankee great Mickey Mantle.
