Time to go to Nats Park
I made it to a couple Washington Nationals games last year, but one sticks out in my mind. I can't even remember who the Nats were playing. What I do remember is Bryce Harper smoking a pitch so aggressively it was like he was offended the pitcher even dared to come close to the strike zone.
His perfectly aligned swing resulted in a rocket into the right field bleachers. It took me a moment to realize I was standing up with my mouth wide open staring at the field as he rounded the bases. With many anticipating Harper to depart DC via free agency in 2019, time may be running out for Nats fans to have their jaws dropped by Harper playing for the home team at Nats Park.
To prepare my mind for each sport, I like to do some research. I typically buy season preview magazines prior to the opening day for each sport.
I of course have not read near as much of the Athlon and USAToday season previews that I would have liked to by this point. But I have read enough to know that I am targeting a mid-August two-game set between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels for at least one trip to the local friendly confines.
In reading the Athlon capsule on the Angels, it struck me that they have the best player of our current decade (Mike Trout) and the best player of the last decade (Albert Pujols). I have never seen either in person. It would be fun to at least check the block on seeing Pujols, in his twilight, and Trout, currently "must see" baseball entertainment.
Harper versus Trout is a morality play like those scripted in the World Wrestling Entertainment. Harper is the hated, cocky heel and Trout is the good guy, or the face. I don't have a problem with Harper -- love his intensity and competitiveness -- but many people hate him like a pro wrestling heel.
If you Google "Bryce Harper asshole," you will get the following stories:
Just prior to baseball opening day, TheRinger.com ran an article by Michael Baumann that compared Trout to transcendent, cross-over superstars in other sports like LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Tom Brady. Well-respected ESPN MLB beat writer Buster Olney says Trout is the best player in baseball and "you’d be hard-pressed to find a player who is more universally liked than [him]." So we can agree the narratives on Trout and Harper are different, right?
Let's also not forget these two will always be linked and compared. In 2012, Harper and Trout were the National and American League Rookies of the Year, respectively, and they are both mashing the ball this year at historic rates.
When they were both coming up in that 2012 season, it was debatable as to who would be better. Most say Trout now, but many would admit the competition is close. Harper could still possibly wrestle the title of Best Player in Baseball away from Trout.
Angels @ Nats, 14-15 August, put it on the calendar -- Superman vs. Batman, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, Face vs. Heel. I went to watch Wrestlemania 2 on close circuit TV at Hara Arena in Dayton, OH when I was in middle school.I was cheering hard for the heel tag team of Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake against the good guy team, the British Bulldogs. I have a soft spot for the heel sometimes.
The NHL playoffs bore me once the Capitals are out and the NBA conference finals have been snoring. I will finally be going to my first Nats game of the year over Memorial Day weekend. I am looking forward to seeing my favorite baseball heel this weekend and will look to make it back in August.
His perfectly aligned swing resulted in a rocket into the right field bleachers. It took me a moment to realize I was standing up with my mouth wide open staring at the field as he rounded the bases. With many anticipating Harper to depart DC via free agency in 2019, time may be running out for Nats fans to have their jaws dropped by Harper playing for the home team at Nats Park.
To prepare my mind for each sport, I like to do some research. I typically buy season preview magazines prior to the opening day for each sport.
I of course have not read near as much of the Athlon and USAToday season previews that I would have liked to by this point. But I have read enough to know that I am targeting a mid-August two-game set between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels for at least one trip to the local friendly confines.
In reading the Athlon capsule on the Angels, it struck me that they have the best player of our current decade (Mike Trout) and the best player of the last decade (Albert Pujols). I have never seen either in person. It would be fun to at least check the block on seeing Pujols, in his twilight, and Trout, currently "must see" baseball entertainment.
Harper versus Trout is a morality play like those scripted in the World Wrestling Entertainment. Harper is the hated, cocky heel and Trout is the good guy, or the face. I don't have a problem with Harper -- love his intensity and competitiveness -- but many people hate him like a pro wrestling heel.
If you Google "Bryce Harper asshole," you will get the following stories:
- This is the worst of bad opinions on Bryce Harper, but only so far
- Bryce Harper just can't stop being a douche bag (actually a positive story)
- Verducci: Why is Bryce Harper the player everyone loves to hate?
- Bryce Harper looks like an asshole
- Why Bryce Harper is a jerk
Just prior to baseball opening day, TheRinger.com ran an article by Michael Baumann that compared Trout to transcendent, cross-over superstars in other sports like LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Tom Brady. Well-respected ESPN MLB beat writer Buster Olney says Trout is the best player in baseball and "you’d be hard-pressed to find a player who is more universally liked than [him]." So we can agree the narratives on Trout and Harper are different, right?
Let's also not forget these two will always be linked and compared. In 2012, Harper and Trout were the National and American League Rookies of the Year, respectively, and they are both mashing the ball this year at historic rates.
When they were both coming up in that 2012 season, it was debatable as to who would be better. Most say Trout now, but many would admit the competition is close. Harper could still possibly wrestle the title of Best Player in Baseball away from Trout.
Angels @ Nats, 14-15 August, put it on the calendar -- Superman vs. Batman, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, Face vs. Heel. I went to watch Wrestlemania 2 on close circuit TV at Hara Arena in Dayton, OH when I was in middle school.I was cheering hard for the heel tag team of Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake against the good guy team, the British Bulldogs. I have a soft spot for the heel sometimes.
The NHL playoffs bore me once the Capitals are out and the NBA conference finals have been snoring. I will finally be going to my first Nats game of the year over Memorial Day weekend. I am looking forward to seeing my favorite baseball heel this weekend and will look to make it back in August.
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