The greatest battery of all-time?

by Fett42 on Jun 14, 2009 8:55 PM PDT

So it looks like Stephen Strasburg will have a fairly talented catcher to work with. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Bryce Harper, the baseball phenom from Las Vegas High School, has no future in high school. An extraordinary player is ready to make an unusual move.

Harper, a 16-year-old who just completed his sophomore year, has registered at the College of Southern Nevada, where he plans to attend classes in August and play for the Coyotes next season.

...

With his combination of power and speed, Harper is projected to be the top pick in the major league draft when he's eligible. That should be next June.

Ron Harper said his son, who turns 17 on Oct. 16, will be draft eligible "in 2010 or 2011. ... There are a lot of rules that people don't know about."

Bryce Harper and his mother, Sheri, recently went to CSN and signed enrollment forms and his letter of intent to play baseball. Harper is aiming to earn his GED test credentials in the fall.

"He was thinking about it. He initiated it," Ron Harper said. "He said, 'Dad, why can't I take my GED and do this?' "

The minimum age for major league draft eligibility is 16, upon completion of high school.

This is just unbelievable that the Nationals will likely get both of these talents.

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If anything.

Nationals fans deserve it after enduring their current shitty baseball.

by Fin on Jun 14, 2009 9:00 PM PDT reply actions

Duracell, hands down

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Jun 14, 2009 9:12 PM PDT reply actions

I'm much more of an Energizer guy myself

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 14, 2009 9:24 PM PDT up reply actions

I was fond of Alekhine's gun.

Though the suburb of Hobart earns a close second.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 14, 2009 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Chuck Finley's wife

by patsfan on Jun 14, 2009 10:21 PM PDT reply actions

mmmmm Tawny Kitaen........

by marc w on Jun 15, 2009 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Watching Harper's swing reminded me of Ken Griffey Jr.'s in his prime.

In his video at the Power Showcase at Tropicana this winter, only Harper among the five finalists looked like he had a major league swing. Christian Walker’s swing seems pretty long; Dante Bichette Jr. steps into the bucket like crazy; Randal Grichuk – the Angels’ first pick in the draft at #24 – doesn’t get anywhere close to the degree of hip-shoulder separation that Harper does. Plus they all have only pull power except for Harper, who hit the only opposite field home run of the Showcase. Harper simply doesn’t have anything left to learn by playing in high school and he’s at the freakiest end of the physical maturation bell curve.

Also, this illustrates why he reminded me of Griffey: the balance, feet position, hip movement, and head angle all look almost identical. Harper hits the ball further in front of him than Griffey, I think, but Griffey seemed to let the ball travel farther before hitting it than just about anyone in baseball (no idea if he actually did or not, but it always seemed like it to me).