Bryce Harper was exciting for fans in 2012 Major League regular season - MLB Feature Part 2
Sometimes Harper was growing impatient at the plate after failing to connect properly. Unable to keep control on his nerves at-times, he was attempting uselessly to hit mammoth home-runs.
There came a situation during the season when Harper was piling up hitless outings at the plate and was testing the patience of his manager as a result. Distracted by the torrent of thoughts rushing to his mind at the time of his poor form, he struggled
to pay attention to the advice of his manager.
Although Harper managed to get rid of the slump later, he indirectly informed the team officials that when he is not at his best and that he can be a great disappointment for the whole team.
Other than his occasional below par shows at the plate, he needs improvements in his attitude. If he does not get desired at-bats, he should exhibit patience like a self-assured legend as opposed to slamming his bat on the ground in desperation and forcing
the umpire to think about his ejection.
While Harper’s behaviour which was not in accord with the characteristics of Major Leaguers was condoned somehow during the season, he may not enjoy this leniency next year. He is no longer a teenager. He will be evaluated more critically in the upcoming
season.
Currently the debate is about how quickly Harper can register his name among all-time best players of the game.
A single poor season can diminish the hype that has been created about him right now by the experts. Baseball is very cruel when it comes to allowing a player to script his name in history. It demands consistent performances. A few lacklustre seasons can
make fans forget the very player they labelled as a potential star in the first place.
Harper must remember this and make sure he never keeps the fans from praising him at the conclusion of every season.
While Harper remained a part of the stories in which he appeared more as an aggressor and the one that provokes bickering, he can invite sympathy from the way he was welcome by the Philadelphia Phillies’ starter Cole Hamels a few games after his Major League
debut.
He was threatened by Hamels through a pitch which was purposely directed at his body as part of an attempt to intimidate him. At that time most of the observers felt that an innocent young boy was mistreated by Hamels.
However later in the season, Harper went on to prove that he is not as innocent as anyone can believe. His witty responses to reporters’ questions and the way he handled issues with the oppositions’ officials during the season were not reflective of the
tag that many accorded to him immediately after Hamels’ incident.
Who can forget the response of Harper to a reporter who inquired him whether he was overanxious about his poor form in the playoffs or not. He sarcastically requested him to become the hitting coach of the Nationals.
Similarly, during the pine tar incident when the Miami Marlins’ manager Ozzie Guillen questioned Harper, he had to face a belligerent response from him.
"He was just yelling," Harper said. "Yeah, I switched bats. But I just didn't feel comfortable with the first one, so I moved to the second one."
Guillen was unhappy with Harper.
"What he did today was unprofessional. I'm not going to tell you guys what he did. I'm not going to be talking about this guy on ESPN or Baseball Tonight or everywhere. I'm going to talk to his manager in a little while," Guillen said about Harper.
Next season will be a bigger challenge for Harper. His actions will be scrutinised more rigorously. Under the possibility of controversies, he will have to keep his focus right on the game.
It will be hoped that he handles every incident professionally and reaches the pinnacle of his potential.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Continued in Part 3
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