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Bryce Harper

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Bryce Harper
Washington Nationals – No. 34
Outfielder
Bats: Left
Throws: Right

Bryce Aron Max Harper[1] (born October 16, 1992, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a minor league outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization, and was selected by the Nationals as the first pick of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.[1] Harper stands at 6 foot 3 inches and weighs 230 lbs.[2][3]

College career

Harper earned his GED after his sophomore year of high school in December 2009, making him eligible for the June 2010 amateur draft in order to begin his professional baseball career earlier.[4][5] For the 2010 college season,17-year-old Harper enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada of the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC), a league that uses wood bats in conference play. In 66 games, he hit 31 home runs, 98 RBI, hitting .443/.526/.987 (AVG/OBP/SLG).[6] His 31 home runs broke the school's previous record of 12. He was named the 2010 SWAC Player of the Year.[6]

In the Western district finals of the 2010 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) World Series, Harper went 6-for-7 with 5 RBIs and hit for the cycle.[7] The next day, in a doubleheader, he went 2-for-5 with a three-run double in the first game, and in the second game went 6-for-6 with 4 home runs, a triple, and a double.[8]

On June 2, 2010, Harper was ejected from a National Junior College World Series game by home plate umpire Don Gilmore after a called third strike. Harper drew a line in the dirt with his bat as he left the plate, presumably to show where he thought the pitch was. It was Harper's second ejection of the year, and resulted in a two-game suspension.[9] The suspension ended his amateur career, as Southern Nevada lost the game from which Harper was ejected and lost their next game with Harper suspended, which eliminated them from the tournament.[10]

Harper won the 2010 Golden Spikes Award.[11]

Professional career

Harper was drafted first in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Washington Nationals,[12] becoming the Nationals second straight number 1 overall pick of the Major League Baseball Draft, following Stephen Strasburg.[13] Although Harper had predominantly played catcher, the Nationals drafted him as an outfielder to extend his career and to get him into the major leagues quicker. [12]

Harper signed a 5-year contract worth $9.9 million[14], and on August 26, 2010, Harper was introduced by the Nationals. Harper said he chose to wear #34 because "I always loved Mickey Mantle, three and four equals seven."[15]

After batting .319 with a .407 OBP (and leading his team in hits, homers, RBI and walks) in the Nationals' fall instructional league, Harper was selected to participate in the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions taxi-squad,[16] the second-youngest player in the history of the league (two days older than when Mets' prospect Fernando Martinez appeared in the league in 2006)[17] He batted .343 and slugged .629.[18] On November 20, Harper and The Scottsdale Scorpions won the 2010 Arizona Fall League Championship.

After batting .389 in spring training, the Nationals optioned Harper to Class-A Hagerstown to begin his minor league career.[19] In April 2011, after a slow start in the minor leagues, Harper visited optometrist Dr. Keith Smithson who reportedly told him, "I don't know how you ever hit before. You have some of the worst eyes I've ever seen." In his first 20 games after receiving contact lenses, Harper hit .480, collecting 7 home runs, 10 doubles and 23 RBI.[20]

Career accomplishments

  • 2010 AFL Champion
  • 2010 MLB Draft: Number 1 Overall Pick by The Washington Nationals
  • 2010 Golden Spikes Award
  • 2010 SWAC Player of the Year.[6]
  • 2009 Baseball America High School Player of the Year
  • 2009 Babe Ruth Award (Longest HR in International Power Showcase HS Home Run Derby (Tropicana Field Record: 502 feet)
  • 2008 1st Team All Sunrise Division Catcher
  • 2008 1st Team All State Catcher
  • 2008 Player of the Year North-East Division
  • 2008 Batting Average Leader for the state of Nevada
  • 2008 All World Team
  • 2008 All Area Code Team
  • 2007 TBS 14u All American Team
  • 2007 TBS 14u Player of the Year
  • 2006 TBS 13u All American Team
  • 2005 TBS 12u All American Team
  • 2005 NYB All American Team

Personal life

Harper's older brother, Bryan, was a left-handed pitcher for College of Southern Nevada with Bryce. Bryan now plays for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. Bryan was also selected in the 2010 MLB Draft, by the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round.[21][22]

Harper was featured in an episode of ESPN E:60[23] and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in May 2009.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b Picker, David (12/8/09). "Prodigy Harper Handles the Pressure". ESPN. Retrieved 29 Jan 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Simpson, Allan (October 12, 2005). "2005 Baseball for the Ages". Baseball America. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  3. ^ Kerr, Byron (August 11, 2010). "Harper is "begging to play"". MASN Sports. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  4. ^ Youmans, Matt (June 14, 2009). "Harper ready to give college try". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  5. ^ Glassey, Conor (December 3, 2009). "Harper Passes GED". Baseball America. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  6. ^ a b c Oliver, Brian (June 7, 2010). "With the first pick". Nationals Farm Authority. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  7. ^ D.J. Short (May 22, 2010). "Bryce Harper hits for the cycle". Retrieved May 23, 2010. [dead link]
  8. ^ Youmans, Matt (May 23, 2010). "Harper lifts CSN to Junior College World Series: Four HRs, 10 RBI power CSN to title". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  9. ^ "Bryce Harper ejected, and suspended, perhaps ending amateur career - Daily Pitch: MLB News, Standings, Schedules & More - USATODAY.com". Content.usatoday.com. June 3, 2010.
  10. ^ Crasnick, Jerry (June 4, 2010). "Yeah, he's that good". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  11. ^ "Harper wins Golden Spikes Award". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. July 13, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010. [dead link]
  12. ^ a b Kilgore, Adam (June 8, 2010). "Washington Nationals select Bryce Harper with first pick in MLB draft". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  13. ^ Antonen, Mel (June 8, 2010). "Nationals take 17-year-old Bryce Harper with top pick". Usatoday.Com. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  14. ^ "Nationals sign Bryce Harper". ESPN.com. August 16, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
  15. ^ Wang, Gene (2010-08-26). "Bryce Harper introduced at pregame news conference". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
  16. ^ Ladson, Bill (October 13, 2010). "Nats' Harper to play in Arizona Fall League". MLB.com. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
  17. ^ Kilgore, Adam (October 14, 2010). "No. 1 overall pick Harper is ahead of his time for Nats". Washington Post. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  18. ^ >"A Look At Bryce Harper's Final AFL Stats". USA Future Watch. November 18, 2010. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |http://usafuturewatch.com/?p= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Ladson, Bill. "After win, Nats option Harper to Class A". mlb.com. Retrieved 3/20/1011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  20. ^ "Bryce Harper crushing ball after eye exam". CBS News. May 13, 2011. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31751_162-20062723-10391697.html
  21. ^ Muskat, Carrie (2010-06-08). "Cubs select Bryce Harper's older bro | MLB.com: News". MLB.com. MLB. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  22. ^ "Chicago Cubs 2010 Draft Results | cubs.com: Team". Chicago.cubs.mlb.com. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  23. ^ "Bryce Harper faces pressure on his unprecedented path to Major League Baseball - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  24. ^ Verducci, Tom (2009-06-08). "Baseball's LeBron". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by First overall pick in the MLB Entry Draft
2010 		Succeeded by
Incumbent

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