It was only a matter of time before Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo would meet Bryce Harper, the 17-year-old phenom who will most likely go No. 1 overall to Washington in June’s MLB draft.
Nats GM Mike Rizzo Meets His Soon-To-Be No. 1 Overall Pick Bryce Harper
↵Rizzo did just that over the weekend, and the reports are good on the freak of a baseball player:
↵↵Some have criticized Harper’s level of competition, which [Nationals Director of Amateur Scouting Kris] Kline brushed aside. “One thing I always have to remind myself, he is 17 years old,” Kline said. “This is the best league he can play in, and he’s dominating.”
↵↵I think we all know that the kid can hit, but the biggest question is his makeup. One Baseball Prospectus article said Harper has a “top-of-the-scale arrogance, a disturbingly large sense of entitlement, and on-field behavior that includes taunting opponents.”
↵The Nationals’ thoughts?
↵↵“I think he’s got great makeup,” Kline said. “I have absolutely no problems with the kid’s makeup. He’s a great kid.
↵“Bryce looks like a big leaguer. He carries himself like a big leaguer. Does he get upset? Of course. He does hold himself to a high standard. I don’t think he feels like he should make an out. Is he going to have to make adjustments? Yes. As far as his makeup, I think he’s a class act.”
↵Kline said he had read the article questioning Harper’s demeanor and pointedly called it, “absolutely the worst, most ridiculous, stupidest article I’ve ever read. That was horrible.” He called the unnamed scout quoted “gutless” for not giving his name.
↵↵The Nationals are a team desperate to win. If they don’t draft Harper and pair him with some guy named “Strasburg” in the bigs in a couple of years, that means they’re devoted to losing. The Nationals are in no position to not draft a player that is so obviously good because of “makeup” alone.
↵All the Nats need to do is spend a few thousand dollars on a former big leaguer -- say, John Olerud? -- to mentor the kid for the first year or two. It all comes down to this: Harper needs his own Crash Davis.
See More:
