Bates: Bryce Harper’s all-out style could make him another Pete Reiser
From Mike Bates at Baseball Nation on May 14, 2013:
It was a horrifying moment last night in Chavez Ravine when Bryce Harper ran at full speed into an unpadded section of the right field wall, suffering a laceration that required eleven stitches and a jammed shoulder.
The good news, according to his agent Scott Boras, is that Harper did not suffer a concussion. But this is not Bryce Harper’s first collision with an outfield fence. In fact, his body last met the wall two weeks ago, when he got banged up leaping to make a catch against the Braves and hit a support pole. Given the speed and intensity with which the Nationals phenom plays the game, it certainly won’t be the last. As we’ve learned in the past year, Harper is aggressive and opportunistic on the ball field. He’ll take extra bases and steal home. He doesn’t back down from conflict, and is so competitive that he injured himself when the bat he was trying to destroy out of frustration rebounded and hit him in the face, requiring 10 stitches.
All of this intensity, hustle and #tWtW (“the Will to Win,” for those of you who aren’t in the know) are tremendously entertaining to watch on the baseball field. And there’s no doubt that Bryce Harper is one of the most talented young players in baseball history. He’s only 174 games into career and has already been worth about seven wins above replacement. I mean, look at this list of the most valuable players through age 20, according to Baseball Reference:
Read the full article here: http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2013/5/14/4330032/bryce-harper-collision-injury-washington-nationals-los-angeles-dodgers-pete-reiser
Originally published: May 14, 2013. Last Updated: May 14, 2013.