Now that baseball’s version of LeBron James has signed his $10 million dollar deal, the waiting game is officially over.
Late last week, Bryce Harper: SI cover boy, made his debut in the Instructional League.
There is not much that can be said that already hasn’t.
Harper is a phenom for now, and only time will tell if this new version of the “next big thing” can live up to all the hype.
Why all the fuss? How about the home run display that he put on at Tropicana Field, launching home runs over 500 feet—or a .448 avg, 31 big flies, and 98 RBI while attending the College of Southern Nevada this past season.
Those you that have been following Harper, or the game itself, have seen or heard these stories numerous times. Unfortunately, sports fans love these types of scenarios.
The pressure has been on Harper since before he was a teenager and all through high school, where he hit .626 with 14 homers and 55 RBI in his sophomore year.
With all of that said, how did Harper do in his professional debut? Obviously, he went 4-4 with four long balls…not quite. Harper went a pedestrian 0-for-2, which is probably not the worst thing that can happen.
Harper has been accustomed to success his whole life, yet baseball is game where failure is commonplace.
If Harper can deal with the scrutiny, the press, and the unbelievable demand for perfection, this 17-year-old should be just fine!
This article can be found on The GM’s Perspective
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