When the 22-year-old face of your franchise says things like, “If he doesn’t want to play here, then we don’t want him here,” it’s hard not to take a liking to him.

That comment was uttered by Stephen Strasburg when asked whether or not he had any advice for Bryce Harper – the Nationals’ No. 1 overall pick this year who has until Midnight tonight to agree to terms with the club.

Here’s Strasburg’s full quote, courtesy of Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

“I don’t have any advice for him,” Strasburg said. “It’s his decision. If he wants to play here, he’s going to play here. He doesn’t need advice from anyone to confirm his views. If he doesn’t want to play here, then we don’t want him here. That’s the bottom line.”

Granted, it’s a little easier for Strasburg to say that now that he’s comfortably viewing the situation from the inside looking out. A year ago, Strasburg and the Nationals went down to the final seconds of the 2009 deadline before agreeing to a record-breaking four-year, $15.1 million contract. He’s represented by Scott Boras, the same agent that represents Harper.

Strasburg knows that signing a contract is just business. He had talent that the Nationals wanted, so he and Boras made them pay for that talent. But the bottom line is that he eventually did sign, which is something the 17-yard-old Harper has yet to do.

By saying what he did, Strasburg has drawn a line in the sand for Harper: You’re either with us, or against us. Strasburg reminds us that even though financial matters are part of the business, the game of baseball still boils down to competing. Seeing as how Harper is going to be a rich man know matter what, the only question that remains is whether or not he wants to compete along with Strasburg and an up-and-coming Nationals club.

If he doesn’t, then here’s hoping that he can sleep tonight knowing that he passed up on millions of guaranteed money.

Ben Goessling of Masnsports.com writes that the Nationals will likely take 17-year-old catcher Bryce Harper with the first pick June’s draft.

Barring an injury or a drastic change, the Nationals will likely take 17-year-old catcher Bryce Harper with the first pick in the June Draft. According to a source familiar with the situation, they see Harper as being head and shoulders above anyone else in the 2010 draft class and believe he could reach the majors within 2 1/2 years.

Harper, who has been called “the LeBron James of baseball,” completed his GED in December 2009 so he could play junior-college baseball and be eligible for the 2010 draft, rather than finish high school. He is currently playing at the College of Southern Nevada, where he is batting .422 with a .516 on-base percentage, .891 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 42 RBI in 39 games.

The Nationals are pleased with Harper’s arrangement, as it makes him easier to scout than he would be if he was in high school. He is already playing with a wood bat, and the junior-college level of competition is higher than what he’d face in high school. What’s more, Harper is getting pitched to at Southern Nevada, where most high school teams would pitch around him.

Most of the talk surrounding Harper is whether or not he made the right decision to skip the final two years of high school in order to take classes and play at College of Southern Nevada. There’s already a ton of pressure being heaved onto his shoulders and considering he’s so young, no one can predict whether or not he can handle all of the expectations.

That said, Harper is a phenomenal talent. His primary position is catcher, but he has also been clocked throwing 96 mph as a pitcher. He’s best known for hitting a 502-foot home run during the 2009 International Power Showcase at Tropicana Field. The blast is currently on record for being the longest home run in that stadium.

The nice thing about MLB is that whether or not he’s taken with the first overall pick, Harper will have to produce in the minors before he “arrives” at the major league level. Given how young he is, he can take his time developing before he goes the rout of Albert Pujols or Alex Rodriguez, two players that were on the fast track to playing professional ball.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> https://www.scoresreport.com/2009/06/16/baseball-prodigy-bryce-harper-to-skip-last-two-years-of-high-school/ Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:15:22 +0000 https://www.scoresreport.com/?p=20082

If you’ve been living under a rock lately and haven’t yet heard the name Bryce Harper, get accustomed to it because you’re going to be hearing it a lot over the next year.

Harper is the 16-year-old Las Vegas High School baseball player who graced the cover of a recent Sports Illustrated with the words “Chosen One” written besides his photo. This season, he’s batted .626 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs. In 2008, he batted .590 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs in 38 games for LVHS.

He’s being hyped as the best amateur baseball player at his age since Alex Rodriguez turned heads at Miami’s Westminster Christian High School. And thanks to his decision to skip his junior and senior year of high school by taking a GED test that will allow him to enroll in community college, Harper could be eligible for the 2010 MLB Draft.

There is a wide range of opinions that have surfaced in wake of Harper’s decision to skip his final two years of high school. Some think he’s making a mockery of our educational system and that he needs to concentrate on getting his high school diploma above everything else. Others believe that since he has a gift, he and his parents should do everything possible to make sure he reaches his full potential on the baseball diamond and have nothing hold him back.

Personally, I’m on both sides of the fence here. I actually feel bad for Harper in a way, because he’s going to have to grow up in a hurry. Instead of partaking in his senior prom, pep rallies and everything else that comes with the ups and downs of high school, he’ll be dealing with the pressures of becoming a professional baseball player and everything that comes with being an athlete.

On the flip side, he’ll get the opportunity to make millions of dollars for playing the game he loves and be a part of a baseball fraternity that only a very few can be a part of. He’s going to have the opportunity to do something extraordinary in his life and that’s incredibly hard to pass up.

It’s safe to assume that this wasn’t a rushed decision on the part of Harper or his family. And in the end, you have to make the right decision for you and you alone. Others are going to try and force their opinions and beliefs on you and make you question whether or not you’re making the right decision. But as far as we all know, we only get one life and I’d rather make my own decisions than have someone who isn’t in my shoes say what’s best for me. And that’s what Harper is essentially doing, although at only 16, hopefully his parents are helping him make the right choice because he still is only a kid. (How many of us knew what the hell was best for us at 16?)

There’s no guarantee that Harper won’t fall flat on his face if he is drafted next season. But then again, there are no guarantees in life either. I hope he succeeds in baseball and better yet, continues his education so that when his playing days are over, he can contribute more to society than just hitting home runs.