Two good bits about Harper from Tom Boswell's WaPo chat from the other day:
Q. The Franchise
"I went and asked the Franchise how he's doing," Johnson said. "He didn't talk to me."Â When will the big screen tv be delivered from Barry Bonds' locker?
A. Thomas Boswell :
I don't think the public has a handle yet on the difference between Harper the player and Harper the person. Bonds grew up with a troubled father and in a family with problems. Harper grew up in "Ozzie and Harriet" with strong parents, well-defined values and where he had to do the dishes and say, "Yes, sir" and "No, sir." He is, right now, probably the best-mannered pro athlete I've ever met. That's with everybody. And he's not faking it.
He's got a temper. (See "bat backlash.") He attacks the other team and doesn't say he's sorry (See "Pete Rose"). He wants to be the greatest ever (See "Ted Williams"). But in person, he doesn't come across as arrogant at all. In the last year, as every teammate notes, he just seems to have grown up a lot __something many parent see when their kids come back after their first or second year in college. He gets along easily. And that's because he have good ingrained instincts. He got a big hit recently, forget where, maybe the Friday night 3-run sho, and everybody's hi-fiving him in the dugout and the only teammate he took special notice of was Tyler Moore, who'd been on base after getting a hit that probably meant a lot to him. Harper gave him a big hug and Moore just lit up. Obvious they like eachother. Like "Hey, us rookies are doin' pretty good tonight, buddy," but NOT like I JUST HIT A BOMB and you were lucky enough to be on base when I did it. So far, it looks like he has a feel for how to PLAY baseball and also how to ACT baseball.
BTW, if history is any guide, if Harper actually does put together an entire solid season in MLB __which could still be solid at a LOT lower levels than his current numbers__ then WATCH OUT next year. If you are great __not saying Harper is yet, but, come on, how do the "early returns" look__ then 20 is VERY often the age when you just blow up the league.
Here are some numbers for stars at age 20.
Alex Rodriguez: .358 batting title, 141 runs, 91 extra-base hits, 215 hits, 123 RBI.
Mantle: 3rd in MVP, .311, .924 OPS.
Ted Williams: 131 runs, 145 RBI, .328, 86 extra-base hits.
Tyu Cobb: 212 hits, 119 RBI, .350.
Hornsby: .313. Foxx: .328.
Ott: 138 runs, 151 RBI. That's right, 151 RBI at 20.
Frank Robinson: 38 homers. 122 runs.
And at 21, Pujols, Aaron, DiMaggio and too many others to count had already become monsters.
Some get ruined by early fame and attention. But none of these players did. Harper was on the cover of SI at 15. If THAT doesn't ruin you, what would? He's definitely got an athletic ego. But he also has about five Nat vets who are all over his ass all the time __teaching, needling, but also treating him as an equal in talent. He likes it.
Yes, "we shall see." And everybody will be watching to nag. That's the world we're in. But Ripken and Murray never changed from the people they were at 21. Mussina the same. Yes, that Namath tweet was worrisome. And the Nats (Rizzo) shut that down fast.
There's far more breath-holding with Harper than Strasburg, obviously. But I worry less the more I'm exposed to him. IOW, very good first impression as a person.
– June 11, 2012 12:04 PM
Q. Harper
My favorite random moment from the weekend was when a normally taciturn Adam La Roche broke into a big grin after Harper hit his home run. This kid is the most magnetic player that I can remember watching since Kirby Puckett was lighting it up in the Metrodome. For people (like me) who grew up in that part of the country, that's quite a statement to make.
A. Thomas Boswell :
Nice. And true. LaRoche is very old-school. And really likes Harper.
– June 11, 2012 1:04 PM
