Bryce Harper receives first ejection after slamming helmet in the ground - MLB Update
Outfielder Bryce Harper is repeatedly demonstrating that he is short tempered and that whenever things do not happen the way he wants he responds to them negatively.
The worst part is that he does not hide his frustrations and lets everybody know what is going through his mind. On Wednesday when he had his first multi home-run game, he thrashed his helmet on the ground after becoming a part of a double play from the
opposition. As soon as the first base umpire CB Bucknor watched his outbursts in such a manner, he immediately ejected him.
Nationals’ manager Davey Johnson will be having a discussion with the outfielder on this issue so that he does not repeat the same mistakes again. While there is no doubt about the talent of Harper, only thing he has struggled to deal with effectively so
far in the season is how to act in tough situations.
Harper has been unimpressive in the last couple of months after exhibiting his slugging mastery in the first half of the season.
In particular his struggle against the left-handed pitchers is a cause of concern for the manager.
Before returning to his form on the plate on Wednesday, Johnson pointed out that Harper is trying to hit the ball for home-runs and therefore is overlooking how to play the throws on merit. Instead of attempting for line drives, he is aiming for big hits
in order to turn things around quickly.
Meanwhile, Johnson comments on the ejection and suggests that Harper deserves such treatment from the umpire after he behaved unprofessionally. However, he stresses the point that Harper is still going through the learning phase and within a few years in
the Majors he will improve.
“At that point, it didn’t matter to me,” Johnson said. “It was done and [Harper is] wrong in doing that. He’s wrong in breaking his bats. He’s wrong in throwing his helmet down in frustration. It’s just, like I say, 100 percenter. He’s full bore. When he
doesn’t like the outcome, he shows it off that way. It’s just a learning experience.”
It will be hoped that Harper has become conscious now about how to react in the field properly regardless of the circumstances.
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