MLB Draft

Bryce Harper will be the number one pick in today's draft by the Washington Nationals. How could they not take the power hitting catcher who skipped his junior and senior seasons of high school to play junior college baseball for the College of Southern Nevada. He got his GED which allowed him to play JUCO baseball. JUCO players are draft eligible, high school players are not until the completion of their senior seasons.
His stats were sick as in sick good. He batted .443 with 31 homers and 98 RBI's. In addition, of his 101 total hits in 228 at-bats, he aded 23 doubles and 4 triples while scoring 98 runs. The sickest fact of all? He's only 17 and will turn 18 in October.
Many scouts will tell you they don't care about a players stats when considering drafting or signing a kid. The look for the obvious physical tools such as running speed and throwing. They'll look at the mechanics of a swing and how a kid throws.
But with all that, the stats will come. You don't do what Harper has done stat-wise without great skills.
I've seen him hit on video. While one of the great things about YouTube is watching videos of fat guys falling or bicycle daredevils crashing, another great thing is watching videos posted of athletes you normally wouldn't get a chance to see, like Harper. Harper's bat speed is amazing. He looks like a Major League veteran, not a teenager.
If I were the Nationals, and if they don't draft him it would be the biggest upset since Truman defeated Dewey, I would move Harper to the outfield. With his bat I wouldn't want the demands of catching to shorten his career or hamper his hitting. Let the guy play in the outfield and watch him rake for the next 20-years.
There have been many draft busts over the years but after watching a ton of video on Harper I am certain he won't be one of them.
With Stephen Strasburg making his big league debut tomorrow night for the Nats and with Harper waiting in the wings, the Nationals are putting the pieces together. This is a team heading in the right direction.
Speaking of debuts, I remember when I got my first radio job at the now defunct WRKL in Rockland County, New York. A girl named Sharon Roberg did the morning sports. She went by Sharon Rawlings on the air, getting her "air" name from the baseball glove company. Anyhow, one day she talked about a player making his "Major League debut." Only she pronounced debut as "de-butt." I don't know whatever happened to Sharon but I'll always remember that. I also recall a news guy at that station (can't remember his name) saying some politician was "indicted" except he said the guy was "in-dick-tidd." Ah, the fun of radio.