They are calling sixteen year old Bryce Harper the Lebron James of baseball. Harper is quitting school to pursue his baseball career.Harper will attend classes at the College of Southern Nevada over the summer to receive his GED and attend junior college in the fall. If everything stays on schedule, Harper will enter Major League Baseball's 2010 Draft and most likely be selected by the Washington Nationals.
At the age of three, he was playing T-ball against six year olds. At nine, he'd travel all over the country just to play in tournaments for other teams.
For the Las Vegas Wildcats, Harper, a catcher, batted .626 with 14 HR and 55 RBI. He plays the game, and he plays it right. The way Pete Rose played (minus the gambling).
The 6'3", 205-pounder even hit a 570 foot home run. He also hit the longest home run at Tropicana field, a 502 foot blast. Oh yeah, and he was just 15 at the time.
Not only can he hit, but he can clock his fastball at 96 mph. Almost as fast as his bat speed which tops 100 mph. He scored on a wild pitch six times- from second base.
The kid isn't all baseball. His grade point average is 3.5. He also does volunteer work and attends religious classes.
An MLB scout says that if Harper was in the 2009 draft, he would have been one of the top two picks. Says a lot for a sophomore in high school.
A lot of the controversy goes toward the parenting. Shouldn't he finish high school? Did this kid have a childhood? His father was his coach, and Bryce says that he loves the game, and wouldn't trade a piece of his childhood.
As for finishing school, education is important, but this kid has a bright future in front of him. Not every story like this works out, and if it doesn't, he is in trouble. But if it does and Scott Boras his agent, he can soon find himself a millionaire and a star player.
Harper has high expectations for himself. He wants to be in the majors at the age of 18 or 19, wants to be a hall of famer, play in Yankee Stadium, be a Yankee, and be considered one of the best players who ever lived.
3 comments:
Every time I read a story about this kid I get more and more skeptical about him. He took advantage of some bad high school players he hit his 502 footer with a metal bat, he has two positions and needs to focus on one, his body isn't quite developed enough yet, he can't really be the next Lebron because the leagues are so differently, has he ever seen a pitch that breaks more than 6"... The list goes on and on. Promising prospect? Yes. Future Lebron? I don't think so. I think he should learn to hit with a wood bat before he says he wants to be in the HOF.
Good points Shay. He is a promising prospect, but needs more seasoning. What he has done is impressive, and some of the stories I read are unbelievable, but hopefully for him playing against older college kids will get him ready for the majors.
Either way, metal bat or not, 502, or 570 ft alone is impressive for a 15 and 16 year old.
im sorry but a 500 ft homer with any type of material is insane!!! this kid has something special and it really shouldn't be taken away from him or tamed at all if it's this outrageous. but cmon...he really wants to be a yankee?? hahaha i don't like him anymore cause he's either just in it for the money, or he's a yankees phan.
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