It was the night of three kings at Nationals Park — an arrival, a return and an exit.
Bryce Harper put a half-dozen balls in the stands during batting practice Thursday, the newly signed No. 1 draft pick teasing the Washington Nationals with the potential of another big bat in the lineup. Jordan Zimmermann returned to the mound after a year spent rehabilitating his right arm, ready to become the staff’s new young ace over the season’s final weeks. And star pitcher Stephen Strasburg underwent an MRI on his bejeweled arm, his season seemingly over.
Recommended Stories
It may be another losing year for the Nats, but Thursday flashed all the possibilities of a 2013 contender. Harper was so polished it’s hard to imagine he’s only 17 years old — as in getting ready for his senior year of high school.
The talk of Harper being an immature jerk didn’t ring true during his introduction. Guess haters had to come up with something about the second coming of Ken Griffey Jr. Anybody can pretend to be nice, but usually the personality flaws leak out, and Harper showed none.
Oh, there was a modest Mohawk that actually looked good. Harper joked “the ladies like it,” so it’s staying for now. Not so for the eye black that made him a grandchild of KISS. The Nats nixed that, which is too bad. It would have been cool watching kids in the crowd wear it. Kinda like “Wild Thing” out of the “Major League” movies.
Harper talked of missing his dog, Harley, when he heads to Florida to join the Nats’ instructional league. There are no plans to replace his 2000 Toyota Tacoma, which has 120,000 miles, though some of the money will fix a dent in the door. Harper defended his frugality despite signing a $9.9 million deal, saying he saw no reason to buy a new truck since he likes the one he has. Oh, if only the rookie can keep that attitude in coming years.
Harper looked like a regular guy, the kind who laughed at Adam Dunn’s jokes in the locker room, who looked a little enviously at Ryan Zimmerman when the third baseman handed over a No. 34 jersey that’s an indirect honor to Mickey Mantle’s No. 7 and who appeared to have the gregarious personality Strasburg lacks.
It will be a couple years before we know whether Harper is for real, but here’s hoping he joins John Wall, Alex Ovechkin, Brian Orakpo and Strasburg as the town’s stars.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
