04/26/24
June 30, 2009
16-Year-Old Baseball Phenom Leaving High School Early: Bryce Harper, the wunderkind Arizona catcher dubbed the Chosen One in a Sports Illustrated cover story earlier this month, is leaving high school two years early to speed his path to the Major League Baseball Draft. "I want to fail to live up to these enormous expectations as quickly as possible so I can start my life after baseball while I'm still young," said Harper, who actually said nothing of the kind. Earlier discussion.
Er- Nebraska.
:) But seriously, this is awesome- I always get excited about phenoms, even though they usually don't pan out (while some guy drafted in the 20th round puts together a hall of fame career). If the kid's as preternaturally good as they say, and smart enough to pass his GED, who are we kidding? He should spend two years in a high school classroom for... no, that's stupid bullshit. He was born to play baseball, and any pretense of "normal life" is a joke.
I hope he gets into a school, tears it up, and is promptly drafted next June and is on a major league roster ASAP. Fuck, why not? If he's as good as they say, then no reason he can't be like Griffey, A-Rod, et al, and be getting playing time almost immediately. If he's worth drafting #1, he's worth playing right away, and let him learn as he goes at the big league level.
The only reason to put players in the minors is because you can teach and season them at no cost to your major league clubs record (and hopefully if they need time to work up to the majors you aren't throwing them into the lion's den where they develop bad habits or lose confidence). But whoever drafts this guy (at #1) is probably going to be a bottom-ranked team, and better he get those at-bats at the MLB level.
posted by hincandenza at 11:53 PM on June 30, 2009
I always get excited about phenoms...
Try not to stand so close to the phenoms, you could take an eye out with that thing.
On a more serious note, I hope the kid actually performs well and is given every chance to succeed.
posted by BornIcon at 10:30 AM on July 01, 2009
In the second round of this year's amateur draft, the Cardinals drafted USC catcher Robert Stock. Stock, a pitcher and catcher (many scouts believe his future lies on the mound), was drafted as a 19 year-old junior. He left high school a year early to attend USC and get his college career/draft clock started early. So basically Bryce Harper before Bryce Harper (although not as hyped).
posted by holden at 10:38 AM on July 01, 2009
The first two comments are duplicates from the Bryce harper post on June 04
posted by sgtcookzane at 02:05 PM on July 01, 2009
I know, sgtcookzane- I was trying to be funny by referencing that Steve Kansas bit. :)
Hadn't even heard of Robert Stock, but again- like Lebron and others, I actually like when athletes basically try to skip the whole "school" thing (more so in basketball, because the NCAA is a hideous exploitative racket) and avoid the silly pretense of "Education is the most important thing!" Eh, not when you can make 7 or 8 figures before you're 22 because of how you manipulate a spherical object.
posted by hincandenza at 02:14 PM on July 01, 2009
I'm sure he'll be glad he didn't get that high school education five years after he retires.
posted by Joey Michaels at 04:44 PM on July 01, 2009
Joey, thanks for that informative (if somewhat lengthy) link, great stuff in there. Seems as if the majority of pro athletes have trouble managing their millions.
Anyway, if the kid is guaranteed millions it's hard to argue against it. He'd make more in a few years than most of make in our lifetimes, so why pass that up?
I guess the down side is if he leaves school and is injured before ever getting the big payday. Hope that doesn't happen.
posted by dviking at 05:31 PM on July 01, 2009
I guess the down side is if he leaves school and is injured before ever getting the big payday. Hope that doesn't happen.
That is a potential downside, but why couldn't he just go back to college (or start at a 4-year school for the first time)? He will have a GED and some community college credits, so he would presumably be eligible. If he truly is as advertised, he will probably get in the range of an $6-10MM deal, which is the going rate for high first-round draft picks (non-Strasburg division), so he just needs to stay healthy until he is draft eligible -- and I don't see his injury risk profile changing all that much playing JuCo ball instead of high school.
posted by holden at 05:41 PM on July 01, 2009
I don't get your point, Joey Michaels. Not *all* athletes lose all their money, and lots of non-athletes who get rich quick (such as musicians) might blow it all on coke and strippers and fast cars. It's better that he get as dviking says at least a few million, and have that chance, than to play some silly "I got's to get my edumacation!" game that's solely some bone we toss to the idea of "the right thing to do". As if some 18-year-old wunderkind on the court should sit in a classroom for 4 years, rather than go make tens of millions of dollars *now*. There's no law that says you can't go back to school later in life- lots of non-millionaires do it, and they don't have a huge nest egg to fall back on.
Saying he'll blow it all so he shouldn't even try reminds me of a scene in the old show "Night Court" where, when Boll Shannon wins a million dollar lottery, he tears up the check because "I could never afford to pay the taxes!". Maybe he will... but you know, probably not if he's got a half-decent head on his shoulders and/or half-decent parents.
Christ, the dribblings of a pro athlete's income would be enough to set the rest of us up for life. If he makes millions, his parents (if they aren't sleazy) could set up a little trust that matures at age 25 using some of his earnings. Even if he loses it all, or gets injured etc, he could then find himself at age 25 with the cash influx- having learned from the school of hard knocks- to buy a nice but unmansion-y home and still have enough left over to live off the interest for the rest of his life.
posted by hincandenza at 06:28 PM on July 01, 2009
hincandenza:
Sorry, just in a snarky mood today so I didn't expand on my thought. Truth be told, I applaud this kid for going after his dreams, especially because he has the talent to back it up according to all reports.
That said, history suggests that people who aren't used to being wealthy burn through their money pretty quickly - which that article discusses.
I didn't get into the whole thing about prospects who didn't live up to their hype, or succumbed to career ending injuries, or found themselves caught up in drugs and booze, etc.
Finishing high school or going to college certainly wouldn't guarantee that he was protected from these things, but my first thought was of a 16 year old (presumably with all the same urges and instances of poor judgement as any teenager) thrust into the world of professional sports and given an inconceivable amount of money.
My point in linking the SI article was that, perhaps, a decade and a half of sudden wealth hardly means he'll be set for life, assuming he makes it. An education is no guarantee that you'll have a long and successful life, but neither, I would argue, is $6 million.
Anyhow, I genuinely do wish this kid success, though (cynical as I am) this story smacks to me of the prelude to a "where is he now" story ten years down the line.
posted by Joey Michaels at 07:24 PM on July 01, 2009
Man, rereading that, I really am cranky today. I am using my weird mental powers to edit it to "the kid seems like a once in a generation athlete. I wish him great success."
posted by Joey Michaels at 10:12 PM on July 01, 2009
After the build-up I was expecting to see that his name was Steve Kansas.