Bryce Harper, 16 year old baseball phenom

[ShockerGorilla]

16 year old on SI cover
He can hit the ball 570 feet, pitch 96mph, and pick runners off base from his knees when playing catcher. We will be hearing much more about him in the future.

[rrshock]

That's crazy. I'm sure he'll be a 1st rounder and schools shouldn't even waste their time recruiting him.

[CharlieHog]

He was rated a 10 on Perfect Game during his 9th grade year.

I saw on Baseball Think Factory that he might get his GED and enroll in a junior college early.

[ShockCity]

Why are kids in such a hurry these days? What ever happened to being patient and being a kid? If he has the skills now, he will still have them when he's 18 or 21 and more mature to handle professional baseball. Kids sense of reality is so skewed these days. Everything's about instant gratification. It's sad.

[CharlieHog]

Why are kids in such a hurry these days? What ever happened to being patient and being a kid? If he has the skills now, he will still have them when he's 18 or 21 and more mature to handle professional baseball. Kids sense of reality is so skewed these days. Everything's about instant gratification. It's sad.

There is a relatively short window to earn money as a professional athlete. It's not like another job where you do it for 30-40 years.

In other countries teenagers are professional athletes. European basketball players start a lot younger than American basketball players. Why do we think we have to coddle teenagers in this country? Maybe if we expected more of young people we would get more.

What is the big difference between a 16 and 18 year old? A person doesn't magically get more mature when they reach 18 years old.

[ShockCity]

I would make the argument that a 21 year kid who has spent three years maturing at a good college program under a good coaching staff would have a much better chance at success than a 16 or 18 year old child who has to take a huge step from being "Big man on campus" at the local HS to being just another player on a low minor league team in pro ball. Not to mention the fact that he is going to be facing much better competition at the pro level and his ego is going to suffer when he is consistently facing 90-95 MPH heaters and he's going 0-4 with a couple of K's.

[martymoose]

I know if I was him, I'd take the money...and anyone here who says they'd do different is lying....

[ShockCity]

If I was 16, my parents wouldn't have let me leave early and get my GED to play a game. Having said that, after I had graduated and if I were taken in the first 3 rounds, I would have to consider it. Look at Pelfrey. How much money to you think he gained by not signing as a 15th rounder and coming to WSU for 3 years?

[SB Shock]

What is the big difference between a 16 and 18 year old? A person doesn't magically get more mature when they reach 18 years old.

Your right, they are equally immature

[BostonWu]

OK but can he hit a D1 curve?

[ShockerGorilla]

With a little over a month left in the baseball season, the Royals are only 4 games behind the "Natinals" for the Bryce Harper sweepstakes! Then again, they would probably pass on him for some left-handed relief pitcher who won't make it to the big leagues.

[newshock1234]

He will be ruined for life if the Royals draft him

[ShockCity]

I know it's only 1 game, but I saw him in the AFLAC high school all-star game on tv Sunday, and he looked way out of his league. He went 0-5 with 3 strike outs. I wasn't impressed.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Bryce-Harper-posts-All-American-goose-egg-still?urn=mlb,183345

[newshock1234]

I know it's only 1 game, but I saw him in the AFLAC high school all-star game on tv Sunday, and he looked way out of his league. He went 0-5 with 3 strike outs. I wasn't impressed.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big...urn=mlb,183345

sounds like a royals type of player

[Shirley Schmidt]

OK but can he hit a D1 curve?

:yahoo: :clap: :yahoo: :clap: :yahoo: