Harper Fever

I wasn't planning on writing a blog post today.  However it is not a common occurrence when one of the most hyped baseball players in the last 20 years receives the call up to the major leagues.  The 19 year old phenom Bryce Harper has been called up by the Washington Nationals today to take the spot of All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who was sent to the DL.  His major league debut on Saturday will also be a game that will be started by the Nationals last phenom, Stephen Strasburg.  Needless to say, this game will definitely be must see TV. 

Whether or not this is the right time for Harper to make his debut is something that can be debated.  He's only hitting .250 in AAA this season and only has one home run.  He also will have to make his debut on the road, in Los Angeles against Chad Billingsley.  It's a good thing that the Nationals are calling him up tomorrow and not today though.  The Nationals have to face the defending NL CY Young winner Clayton Kershaw tonight.

I'm very excited to see Harper play.  I have heard that he is a very cocky, confident kid.  Whether or not he will tone down his cocky play in the big leagues will be determined tomorrow.  I highly doubt major league pitchers will be intimidated by his media hype and will have no problems throwing a couple high and tight pitches if the situation presents itself. 

There will be lots of pressure for him to perform at a high level.  Everything he does will be talked about by the major media outlets.  This is a very exciting time to be a Washington National fan however I think the fans should maybe tone down expectations for a little while.  This guy is only 19 years old.  He's still learning the game and getting used to professional pitching at a high level.  I tried to think of media hyped players over the last 25 years who have received a call up to the majors as a teenager.  I thought of Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Justin Upton, Edgar Renteria, and Andruw Jones.  All of these players were 19 year old rookies.

• Griffey hit .264 with 16 home runs, 16 stolen bases, and 61 RBI's in 127 games. 
• ARod hit .229 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI's in 48 games. 
• Justin Upton hit .221 with 2 home runs in 43 games.
• Edgar Renteria hit .309 with 16 stolen bases and 5 home runs in 106 games.
• Andruw Jones hit .217 with 5 home runs in 31 games.

Whether or not Harper is here to stay is still undecided.  He might be sent back down once Zimmerman returns from the DL.  I'm sure if he struggles, he will be sent down to the minors for more grooming.  However if he hits right away, I doubt he will be packing his bags for AAA anytime soon.  My guess, the kid is here to stay.  No matter what, I know I will be watching.

On the Diamond...

• This is a great weekend for baseball, and not only because of the Bryce Harper news.  The Nationals/Dodgers series is a matchup of the two best teams in the National League.  Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg, two pitchers who are very exciting to watch will also be making starts in this series.  In the American League, both playoff matchups from last year are taking place.  In New York, the Yankees and Detroit Tigers face off against each other.  The game tonight is the reigning AL CY Young and MVP Justin Verlander versus Ivan Nova.  Verlander struggles against NY.  He is 0-2 lifetime in 4 career starts and has an ERA north of 4.00.  Nova is arguably the Yankees best pitcher right now and has won his last 13 pitching decisions.  The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays also get to do battle this weekend.  The Rangers are the best team in all of baseball right now, but the Rays have also been playing very well.  Needless to say, this weekend should be a very good weekend for baseball.