Easter Sunday was a really nice day. The whole family was present with everyone making it to the house. Once again, my wife put together an extensive dinner, maintaining the traditions of a Ukrainian Easter; paska (Ukrainian bread); one egg shared by all to start the dinner; and a Ukrainian hymn signifying that Christ had risen. It was sunny and warm outside and inside. Even sports took a respite for the day.
And then at 11:00pm, I watched the news which has become the most dramatic program on TV these days. And I always check out the Phillies results. The Phillies lost. Bryce Harper hit his second home run of the day on a 3-2 count with the Phils leading 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and two on to Washington. Do the math – a 6-4 loss. It was Harper’s 18th home run against the Phillies in his five years with the Nationals.
If you root for any team other than the Nationals, Bryce Harper is not your favorite player. He just seems to have a way of ruining one’s day.
But, let’s face it – Bryce Harper is REALLY, REALLY good. He is a baseball superstar who truly lives up to the description every day he steps on the field. I knew a bit about his journey to the major leagues, but I decided to investigate a bit further. Wikipedia is always a good place to start.
- He received his GED after his sophomore year in high school so he could begin his path to professional baseball career at the age of 17.
- He played one season for the College of Southern Nevada as a catcher with his older brother pitching on the team. Harper was the Player of the Year in the conference. He topped that honor by being named the best amateur player in the country. And he played only one collegiate season.
- He was drafted #1 by the Nationals in 2010; signed a 5-year, $9.9 million contract with 26 seconds left before the signing deadline. His signing bonus was $6.25 million.
- He struggled early in his minor league career because as an optometrist told him, “You have some of the worst eyes I’ve ever seen.” Once he received contact lenses, he hit an amazing .480.
- His major league debut occurred on April 28, 2012; he was an All-Star that year; and he was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year.
- Including this season, he has hit a home run on opening day every year in the majors.
- His longest career home run (461-feet) is, naturally, against the Phillies.
- He is a Seventh Day Adventist and drinks no alcohol.
A 4-3 Phillies win at the end of a nice Easter Sunday would have been a perfect way to end the day, but now that I know more about Bryce Harper and his road to the majors, it’s very hard not to respect his talents and his work ethic. I wish he just wouldn’t be so hard on the Phillies.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- The Eagles might want to consider hiring the “Easter Bunny” as a linebacker. Take a look.
https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/853686707555840000/photo/1
And it was a legal hit – the bunny did not lead with his EARS!!
- Image, either good or bad, is so important for professional athletes. It often determines their future once they decide to leave the game they play. Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning always appeared to be one of those squeaky clean guys, much like his brother Peyton. Now we hear he may be involved in a memorabilia scam to sell items advertised as game-used when they were not and is being sued. I have never been enamored with sports mementos, but this should be an interesting story.
- Last week, I spoke of some potential rule changes to shorten baseball games. The first report is out for this season and the games are averaging over five minutes longer than last year.
- The Chicago Cubs passed out their championship rings this past week. 108 white diamonds, 33 custom-cut red rubies and 46 blue sapphires make up the face. The inner band features the infamous goat.
5. Our first look at Lafayette’s new head coach, John Garrett, will take place on Saturday, April 29, when we televise the Lafayette Maroon-White game. The action is LIVE at 1:00pm.
