Bryce Harper...

[Hot Lunch]

Does this league use wooden bats?

Yep

[smokymountainrain]

Yep

All of a sudden I can't wait til' Friday afternoon.

[MarkGrace]

JC leagues are very competitive due to the fact it's easier to draft JC players than D-1 players. Albert Pujols went to a JC.

Yes.

Our JC team could have rocked a lot of D-1 schools.

5 guys on my team played in the college World Series after they left JUCO. At least 7 were drafted. My roommate was a Golden Spikes finalist.

[Hot Lunch]

All of a sudden I can't wait til' Friday afternoon.

It is really good baseball. I wish I could come up and catch a game.

[cougjunkie]

It is really good baseball. I wish I could come up and catch a game.

It is good, except for CEU. They are really bad this year, 9-37 or something like that. Just awful, they do not have a kid on the team with an era below 7.

[il Padrino Ute]

I'll be at Cate Field about 2:30 today if any folks want to join me to catch the game.

[smokymountainrain]

I'll be at Cate Field about 2:30 today if any folks want to join me to catch the game.

I'll be there between 2:30 and 3. Game starts at 3:00, right?

[il Padrino Ute]

I'll be there between 2:30 and 3. Game starts at 3:00, right?

Yep, 3:00 start today.

[il Padrino Ute]

First, it was good to meet SMR and his 8 year old son. I'm happy you two were able to make it out there today.

Thoughts about Harper who hits 3rd in his team's lineup:

I was disappointed, as was SMR with the kid's first at bat because he tried to put down a bunt. WTH? I didn't pay $5 to see this kid not swing for the fence. He eventually drew a walk and ended up scoring on a throwing error.

His next at bat (4th inning) he went yard to the opposite field. It didn't matter that there was a light breeze blowing that way because the kid crushed it. The ball finally came back to earth sometime in the 6th inning.

I don't remember his next at bat as I was buying a dog and Coke.

On defense he's not nearly as good as he looks in the film clips I've seen of him. He has a strong arm and a quick release when he throws down to 2nd base, but he really needs to work on blocking the plate. He had a great chance to put the tag on an SLCC runner at home...it was a perfect throw from the left fielder, but Harper didn't bother to catch the ball before he turned to make the tag and he was on the wrong side of the plate so he couldn't have blocked it had he caught the ball.

In the 2nd game, he moved from catch to center field. I only watched 3 innings before I left, but he did much better at that position. He made a nice play on a ball that was hit into the RF gap that would have been for extra bases had he not got it on a short hop while sliding. He struck out in the first AB of that game, but I left before he had his next. He was trying too hard to go for the fence in that AB.

Of the ABs that I saw, only once did I see him have good patience and wait for his pitch - the HR. He was hell bent on trying for another when he whiffed.

Overall, I'll say that he's going to be a helluva player down the road, especially if he is willing to be coached. He has a lot of raw talent that made him dominant in high school and will help him get by at the JC level, but he's still going to need to listen to coaches at the pro level or he'll end up being a disappointment.

As one of the scouts behind me said in the 1st game after Harper let a ball get past him to the backstop (nobody was on base at the time): "He sure looked like a junior in high school right there." The other scouts agreed.

[MarkGrace]

Nice report, IPU.

Sure sounds like he'll end up a corner infielder or outfielder at some point.

[il Padrino Ute]

Nice report, IPU.

Sure sounds like he'll end up a corner infielder or outfielder at some point.

I think he's be better used in the OF than at catcher, but he could learn to be a decent catcher if he puts in the time. You're also correct about a corner infielder - 1st base would be my guess.

[smokymountainrain]

First, it was good to meet SMR and his 8 year old son. I'm happy you two were able to make it out there today.

Same to you, IPU.

Thoughts about Harper who hits 3rd in his team's lineup:

I was disappointed, as was SMR with the kid's first at bat because he tried to put down a bunt. WTH? I didn't pay $5 to see this kid not swing for the fence. He eventually drew a walk and ended up scoring on a throwing error.

His next at bat (4th inning) he went yard to the opposite field. It didn't matter that there was a light breeze blowing that way because the kid crushed it. The ball finally came back to earth sometime in the 6th inning.

I don't remember his next at bat as I was buying a dog and Coke.

On defense he's not nearly as good as he looks in the film clips I've seen of him. He has a strong arm and a quick release when he throws down to 2nd base, but he really needs to work on blocking the plate. He had a great chance to put the tag on an SLCC runner at home...it was a perfect throw from the left fielder, but Harper didn't bother to catch the ball before he turned to make the tag and he was on the wrong side of the plate so he couldn't have blocked it had he caught the ball.

In the 2nd game, he moved from catch to center field. I only watched 3 innings before I left, but he did much better at that position. He made a nice play on a ball that was hit into the RF gap that would have been for extra bases had he not got it on a short hop while sliding. He struck out in the first AB of that game, but I left before he had his next. He was trying too hard to go for the fence in that AB.

Of the ABs that I saw, only once did I see him have good patience and wait for his pitch - the HR. He was hell bent on trying for another when he whiffed.

Overall, I'll say that he's going to be a helluva player down the road, especially if he is willing to be coached. He has a lot of raw talent that made him dominant in high school and will help him get by at the JC level, but he's still going to need to listen to coaches at the pro level or he'll end up being a disappointment.

As one of the scouts behind me said in the 1st game after Harper let a ball get past him to the backstop (nobody was on base at the time): "He sure looked like a junior in high school right there." The other scouts agreed.

One other thing I would mention...on the shot to the opposite field, he hit a pitch that was low and outside - most likely a ball. I think Harper was probably the only guy on either team who could have hit that out of the park. And as IPU mentioned, he didn't just hit it out, he hit it out comfortably.

Even as a 17 year old he looked like a man among boys out there. Physically, he was more impressive than anybody else out there, but you can see that he has a lot to learn behind the plate and in terms of plate discipline in the batters box. Also appears to be a bit of a prima donna at this stage, but if you can hit 22 HRs in just 170 ABs, perhaps you've earned the right.

I'd be surprised if he isn't playing first fairly early in his career.

[MarkGrace]

So the SWAC plays with wood bats, but now that CSN is in the Western District Tourney, they've switched over to metal. The results? Bryce Harper is playing a video game.

Game 1: 6-7, hit for the cycle, and racked up 6 RBIs.

What does he do for an encore next the next day?

Game: 6-6, 4 hr's, 3b, 2b, 10 RBIs.

lol!

[DrumNFeather]

So the SWAC plays with wood bats, but now that CSN is in the Western District Tourney, they've switched over to metal. The results? Bryce Harper is playing a video game.

Game 1: 6-7, hit for the cycle, and racked up 6 RBIs.

What does he do for an encore next the next day?

Game: 6-6, 4 hr's, 3b, 2b, 10 RBIs.

lol!

With Strasburg, Zimmerman, Harper and a few others, the Nationals are going to look good in like 4-5 years. As it is, they're not half bad.

[Indy Coug]

With Strasburg, Zimmerman, Harper and a few others, the Nationals are going to look good in like 4-5 years. As it is, they're not half bad.

Is anyone showing up to see them now?