Bryce Harper called up

[NelsonMuntz]

Well he hustled down the first base line ... I'll give him credit for that.

[NYDCYankee]

Well I can affirmately say I don't want Harper to suck. I go to ALOT of Nats games. So I want him to do really well.

[HerbieLee20]

What you won't see -- what you don't know -- is that something had been brewing all game between Zachary Neal and the Hagerstown Suns. After strikeouts, Neal would stare into the Hagerstown dugout. How it started is unclear, but this thing wasn't Neal vs. Harper. This was Neal vs. Hagerstown, and it escalated for several innings until Harper put an end to it with one swing, one trot, one kiss.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/1...l-bryce-harper

"That's the sad part about him," Beasley said. "It's disappointing to me that the media takes bits and pieces of what happens and uses that to make him look bad. He's a good kid -- I mean it, he's a good kid. It's sad to be 18 years old and have to fight those types of demons."
Harper fights them with silence. It's his best weapon, because there's nothing to gain from opening his mouth. He once told Sports Illustrated that he tried to pattern his game after Mickey Mantle -- what was he supposed to say, that he patterned his game after Kurt Bevacqua? -- and for that, he has been roasted.

[NelsonMuntz]

Not to turn this into a de facto Nationals thread but they really should have went harder after Fielder this offseason. Their rotation is great but their offense is putrid.

[NelsonMuntz]

That was hit hard. 1 - 3 with a double.

[Blazer]

Incredible throw from LF. Replay would have shown the baserunner deliberately slapped the catcher's mitt. /sigh/ most technically defunct major sport in the world.

[Yanksfanintoronto]

I like the swag on this kid....why be humble when your this good? Plus all this stuff about character is over rated....not because good character does not matter but because the media and fans tend to over hype and over react to such matters....the only people that truly know how he is are his family, coaches and his team mates....If I am a player of his talent I could care less about how fans and the media perceive me.

Btw, the fact that he is also a huge Yankees fan and wears 34 due to Mickey Mantle (3+4=7....as per Michael Kay on today's broadcast) has me rooting for him. Hope he has a HOF career....in Pinstripes perhaps.

[Hitman23]

I am happy for him. The Nats are a fun team to watch this year.

[NelsonMuntz]

I am happy for him. The Nats are a fun team to watch this year.

Their rotation is fun to watch but their offense is like watching paint dry.

[BronxYanks45]

I was hoping they'd call him up after the Yankees played the Nationals in interleague but oh well

[MoVaughnEatsAlot]

Kid has great ABs, I'll give him that. Looks like he plays hard too.

[Hitman23]

Their rotation is fun to watch but their offense is like watching paint dry.

I'm a pitching duel type fan so that's cool with me. Last night's game against LA was fun until I watched both my closers blow the game. (fantasy team)

[ieddyi]

I try and catch every Strasburg start

Gotta love the way Harper tossed his batting helmet as he got near and on his double

[35Knucklecurve]

He looked pretty good this weekend. He threw a laser beam from LF to home plate, got his first hit and made a great catch yesterday. I've never seen any player take his batting helmet off with one swipe of the forearm - running between 1st and 2nd.

I don't know much about him personally, other than the stuff his parents did to get him to the majors ASAP. They're going to regret that in the long run. He's made it clear that he wants to play like Mickey Mantle and it's hard to find fault with that. It's nice that a kid his age admires Mantle instead of some of the current players, although there is nothing wrong with that. It just shows he's a student of the game who has apparently done some baseball homework.

That series this weekend between the Doders and Nats was great stuff. Fun to watch these guys right now.

[MoVaughnEatsAlot]

He might have one of the quickest bats I've ever seen. He looks like the real deal. His arm is a cannon.

[NYDCYankee]

Guys...I think I love him.

[a-RobinsonCano-Fan]

So far, we have seen glimpses of what an arm he has. And he finally put a few hits on the board last night. I dont think hes going anywhere for a very long time at this rate.

[Hitman23]

I hope he keeps this up. Definitely one of the most exciting players to have been called up in recent memory. The fact that Washington has Stras and Harper makes it an awesome time to be a Nats fan.

[Yankee Tripper]

Batting 3rd tonight. Reminds me of when Posey was called up to the Giants 2 years ago.

[MoVaughnEatsAlot]

Man he's got some beautiful swing. Hits to all fields.

[Hooligan Tavarez]

I'm not sure baseball has ever seen anybody quite like Harper. There have been 19 year olds in the Majors but they never hit 31 HR in JuCo with a wooden bat when they should have been juniors in High School.

[kan_t]

I'm not sure baseball has ever seen anybody quite like Harper. There have been 19 year olds in the Majors but they never hit 31 HR in JuCo with a wooden bat when they should have been juniors in High School.

A-Rod? Griffey? Mantle?

[Hooligan Tavarez]

Obviously those are his comparables as far as generational prospects go but I meant as far as his domination with a wooden bat at 17 whereas A-Rod and Griffey were drafted as HS seniors

[Norge]

Harper is nuts. I can't believe I'm older than a major leaguer.

[Hitman23]

Harper is nuts. I can't believe I'm older than a major leaguer.

Try being old enough to be "past your prime" players nearing retirement.