There is something to be said for humble baseball players. Guys who do not run their mouths or act like they are the greatest man to ever walk on a diamond, but simply go out every day and play ball. I have always been a supporter of someone who lets his play do the talking, but once in a while a player comes along whose ego is justified. If a player is only 20 years old, batting third for a major league baseball team, coming off a Rookie of the Year season, and is batting .302 with 10 home runs and 21 RBIs, that is a pretty reasonable exception. Bryce Harper is that exception.
Now the general consensus I have gotten from people is that he is generally not well liked. They say he is a bit too arrogant for his own good and for his age. But despite all this I like Bryce Harper. Maybe he is arrogant but you cannot tell me that anyone in his position would not be. If he thinks he’s better than the others on his team, well its because at the moment he is. The Nationals would not be even as high as they are now if it was not for Harper. For a team that was picked to be the preseason favorite, they are not quite living up to expectations, except for number 34. Currently he is leading the team in home runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base-percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases. In essence, he is Washington’s offense.
Also how can people criticize a guy that has to take an IV before playing, throws up during the game, and still stays in? Usually arrogant baseball players are classified as “prima donnas” but you cannot say that about him either. The kid’s got some guts and is a true competitor. If he was not, then he would never have been playing varsity baseball his sophomore and freshman years of high school, or competing against top JUCO talent when he was sixteen, or been a top pick in the MLB Draft at eighteen, or won NL rookie of the Year. Need I say more?
To me Harper just has more of an edge than anything, but anyone in his position would have to. You are not going to succeed in the MLB without a little arrogance, especially if you are only twenty and going against the top players in the world. I do not condone arrogance, but it is not arrogant when someone can back it up.
