12/21/24
August 11, 2011
Bryce Harper Ejected from Class AA Game: Washington Nationals 18-year-old prospect Bryce Harper was ejected from a Class AA game Wednesday after throwing his helmet and raging at umpire Max Guyll when he was called out on strikes. Harper thought a 3-2 pitch was ball four and was headed to first when he got the bad news. Video shows the tantrum. "Replays showed the [Eric] Surkamp full-count pitch was clearly outside, but Guyll was stretching the zone all night," reported Geoff Morrow of Penn Live.
He was ejected for spiking his helmet.
posted by rcade at 02:11 PM on August 11, 2011
I'm aware of that. To me, the "real" tantrum started after he spiked the helmet. No ump in the Majors would eject a batter for throwing his helmet down, or throwing their bat. They would get ejected for getting in the umpire's face, which, in this case, happened after he was already ejected.
Not defending Harper, just not ready to dismiss him as some sort of anger management case. He's young, he's still maturing.
posted by dviking at 02:57 PM on August 11, 2011
No ump in the Majors would eject a batter for throwing his helmet down ...
Really? My presumption is that no ump would let that slide.
I don't think Harper's a head case. This is just a teachable moment for the wee lad.
posted by rcade at 03:03 PM on August 11, 2011
No ump in the Majors would eject a batter for throwing his helmet down, or throwing their bat.
Ian Kinsler would disagree :-)
posted by bdaddy at 03:05 PM on August 11, 2011
LOL, I knew the second I wrote that last post that someone would look for a video proving me wrong.
For the record, Kinsler was tossed for throwing his bat, AND his helmet, AND his shin guard, all while standing in the box. If he had started down toward 1st, and then just threw his helmet, I doubt the ump tosses him. Now, Harper did spike his helmet, so that raises the stakes for sure. I still stick with my assessment that this really isn't some anger management issue on Harper's part. He got upset over a bad call and over-reacted. Unless he starts doing this every game, I think he'll grow out of it.
posted by dviking at 05:16 PM on August 11, 2011
Come on, Harper is a coddled douche...
posted by NEPABob at 07:52 PM on August 11, 2011
...because...
posted by tahoemoj at 08:46 PM on August 11, 2011
As mentioned in the last example of douchery, this isn't his first rodeo
posted by bdaddy at 10:11 PM on August 11, 2011
LOL, I knew the second I wrote that last post that someone would look for a video proving me wrong.
well I didn't expect to find anything, what with MLB's tyranny about sharing videos, but I had to post it once I saw the result was my 7 year old's favorite player :-)
posted by bdaddy at 10:14 PM on August 11, 2011
Thanks bdaddy !
posted by NEPABob at 10:42 PM on August 11, 2011
I'm just not getting why this is such a big deal. He behaved poorly, but not outlandishly so, and received the appropriate punishment.
posted by stevis at 08:12 AM on August 12, 2011
it's not a big deal. I think even people like me who aren't exactly Bryce Harper fans don't even find it a big deal. Now add it together with the kissing incident, the BP report, the articles about him taunting opponents, the stories of his peers and coaches in his league talking about how big an ass he is.... and it just formulates an opinion on the guy. And no, even that isn't a "big deal", it's just something to talk about.
I just find it as one more example (in a quickly growing list for a kid only 18) why I personally am not going to like this guy while the rest of the world felates him for the next 10-20 years.
posted by bdaddy at 09:33 AM on August 12, 2011
Well, I don't know about fellates, but the Nationals need some personality on their team. A player that people love to hate is better than what they have now.
posted by bperk at 11:26 AM on August 12, 2011
Well, I don't know about fellates, but the Nationals need some personality on their team. A player that people love to hate is better than what they have now.
I'm pretty sure Elijah Dukes is available for fill that role.
posted by wfrazerjr at 12:01 PM on August 12, 2011
The Nats need interesting, not violent and abusive.
posted by bperk at 01:03 PM on August 12, 2011
to be honest, I had not heard all of the prior cases regarding this kid, so maybe he is a head case after all.
The blowing kisses at the pitcher was in reply to the pitcher saying something to him first so I discounted that, but, I wasn't aware that most baseball scouts consider him to be evil. I did like the line from bdaddy's link... "He's basically the anti-Joe Mauer."
No Gatorade or Head and Shoulders commercials for him!
posted by dviking at 03:25 PM on August 12, 2011
Competitive player in a tight game, pitch was outside, hard to expect the kid not to react. Was he over the top? Perhaps. but he was ejected before his real tantrum started, so I'll give him a bit of a pass on that.
Kid is only 18, and has been treated like a celebrity all along, so he obviously needs some time to grow up and mature. I hope he gets some good coaching on the behavioral side of the game.