Nationals Report Harper’s already as good as promised
Teenagers in the major leagues are supposed to get their comeuppance.
Alex Rodriguez flunked two trials before his 20th birthday. The most gifted teen of them all, Mickey Mantle, was humbled at 19 and sent back to Triple-A Kansas City.
But Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has had a transcendent first week in the major leagues following his unexpected promotion last weekend.
Every game Harper has played, he has provided a thrill, whether with his bat, legs, glove, moxie or undersold arm. He already has blasted four doubles and made several astonishing throws and a barehanded catch in center field. He also slapped the ball from the mitt of a catcher when he should have been thrown out at home.
On Wednesday night, as Harper settled under a fly ball to center field with a runner on third and no outs, a startling surge of anticipation — similar to that on a soccer or hockey breakaway — went through Nationals Park. Harper gunned a throw to Wilson Ramos that reached the catcher without a bounce as the runner stayed on third.
Before Harper was promoted, it already promised to be a transformational summer at Nationals Park. But what will it be now that the Nats’ future — and perhaps baseball’s — has arrived ahead of schedule?
– Kevin Dunleavy
MLB STORYLINES
1 Mariano Rivera tears his ACL » It is almost impossible to imagine the Yankees without their closer. The future Hall of Famer has been the backbone of all the great New York teams dating to the mid-1990. But now the Yankees will get an early glimpse of life without Rivera, 42, who tore the ACL in his right knee while shagging fly balls during batting practice Thursday. In reality, a closer only pitches around 70 innings a season, so even with a fill-in reliever, New York should be able to get by — at least until the postseason, when those crucial late-inning situations mean so much more.
2 New owners, new life for Dodgers » Some critics thought it would take the Dodgers years to dig out from the bumbling ownership of Frank McCourt, who finally sold the team last month. How about a couple of weeks? With new ownership finally in place — a group that includes former Nationals executive Stan Kasten and Lakers great Magic Johnson — Los Angeles is playing like a team with renewed hope. It doesn’t hurt that it had two core pieces in place with slugger Matt Kemp and left-hander Clayton Kershaw, last year’s Cy Young winner. At 17-9 entering the weekend, the Dodgers were tied for the best record in the National League.
3 Cleveland rocks? » Last year the Indians were widely considered a fraud even as they stayed in first place into June. Eventually, things fell apart as expected. But here Cleveland is, right back on top of the American League Central entering the weekend. The record was a modest three games over .500. But in a division in which Minnesota is rebuilding, Kansas City has crumpled under the weight of expectations and Chicago isn’t any good — well, that leaves just the Indians and division favorite Detroit. A nice start from designated hitter Travis Hafner has bolstered the offense. Now, if only the Indians can find some pitching depth.
– Brian McNally
Who’s hot
1. Derek Jeter » He doesn’t seem to be aging. In 114 at-bats heading into the weekend, the Yankees shortstop had a .439 on-base percentage.
2. David Ortiz » He’s still holding down the middle of Boston’s lineup long after Manny Ramirez departed. He has 17 extra-base hits in 97 at-bats.
3. Ross Detwiler » Overshadowed in the Nats’ stacked rotation, Detwiler has 1.59 ERA. Chien-Ming Wang’s not getting the No. 5 starter spot back any time soon.
Who’s not
1. Albert Pujols » The $254 million man was still without a home run entering the weekend and has struggled to lift the Angels.
2. Josh Johnson » The Marlins were hoping their ace would make a swift return from last year’s shoulder surgery. Instead, he started 0-3 with a 6.61 ERA.
3. Clay Buchholz » The Red Sox aren’t winning a thing unless the righty gets back on track. He allowed five earned runs or more in his first five starts.
