Posts for bryce harper

Phillies GM Matt Klentak Says He’s Not Concerned About Bryce Harper

BWanksCB - May 14, 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: ERIC HARTLINE-USA TODAY SPORTS

Phillies general manager Matt Klentak met with the media ahead of tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. I wasn’t there because I was running late, but WIP’s Howard Eskin was, and he streamed some of Klentak’s comments, as he often does. So thanks, Howard.

One of the topics covered with Klentak included the struggles of right fielder Bryce Harper. Dating back to April 14, Harper has hit only .193 with a .697 OPS over his last 99 plate appearances. He’s also produced a modest .323 OBP and 31.3% strikeout rate during that span, which has obviously raised some concerns about Harper for some. Just don’t count Klentak among them. Here’s what he had to say when asked by Eskin about Harper’s recent struggles:

I mean, the short answer is no, I’m not concerned. A 26-year-old with a track record like he has, I’m going to trust in that track record. He’s, if I’m not mistaken, leading our team in doubles, he’s leading our team in walks, he still has a .370 on-base [percentage], and he’s making plays like he did last night in right field to help us win games even when he’s not hitting, so I don’t have any concerns with Bryce.

I do think we need to recognize though that all players, including the best players in the league, are going to go through stretches when they’re not at their best, and Bryce has had these before. He had a stretch like this early last year, in fact, and what great players do is they work themselves out of it. And I think one of the things, this is specific to Bryce but its also specific to a style of play, one of the things that I like Bryce’s style of play is that even when he is struggling offensively is he takes his walks. And it’s hard for players to really get into prolonged slumps when they have the patience that Bryce’s has, and that’s why we can see right now even though he may not be getting the hits he’s hoping to get, he’s still reaching base at a good clip and positively impacting our club.

You can check out the video, after the jump:

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Smash Mouth Emerges From Obscurity, Calls Out Bryce Harper

Russ Joy - May 2, 2019

“Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me. I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed…” Ya got that right, Steve Harwell. Just when I thought I’d seen everything, Smash Mouth came for Bryce Harper and got, well, smashed in the mouth on Twitter. The band voiced their frustration on Twitter in the off-season in an effort to publicly shame the San Francisco Giants and their alleged miscommunication regarding a pursuit of Harper. It was cute, but it didn’t end up working out for the Giants as Harper chose the superior city of Philadelphia to start his family. Anyway, following the CBP faithful’s booing of their right fielder, the band -known by most for their cover of The Monkees’ “I’m A Believer”- took to Twitter to attack Bryce Harper like a jilted lover:

Woof. I get that life must be tough when you look like Guy Fieri, but come on, man. (Seriously, they’re identical.)

Smash mouth singer guy fieri

The whole ordeal is a bit sad. Smash Mouth was a decent 90’s band. They provided the most recognizable song from Shrek, but instead embracing his inner ogre, Harwell came off like a totally jackass.

To make things even worse, the band must have been scouring social media for any mention of themselves, Harper, and booing:

Bam? Who does this guy think he is, Emeril Lagasse? Booing is a way of life. It’s how we hold our players accountable. Booing offends you, Smash Mouth? Maybe you should worry about your fans stabbing people outside of your park. Hopefully this is the last we hear from the band until Shrek 5 comes out someday.

Bryce Harper Got Ejected in Queens Tonight

Philip Keidel - April 22, 2019

VIA TWITTER

Bryce Harper came to the Phillies as a player who, as recently as this past winter, was seen by some in Major League Baseball’s executive circles as “not a winner.” Based on tonight’s evidence, it’s probably safe to say that Harper very much wants to win.

Tonight’s Phillies/Mets game featured umpire Mark Carlson behind home plate. “Featured,” because Carlson apparently never heard the adage that says the umpire is doing his job when no one notices he is there. Carlson’s command of the strike zone tonight through three innings was, to put it charitably, garbage. Harper had been punched out looking in his at-bat in the top of the fourth, and clearly did not care for the second strike (fourth pitch) in the AB:

Rhys Hoskins then hit a home run, and the iffy strike zone Carlson was enforcing receded into the background for, oh, maybe a few minutes. After a walk to Maikel Franco and a lineout by Phil Gosselin, Cesar Hernandez took a 1-1 pitch at (above?) the letters:

And at that point, Harper had seen enough:

Harper became the first Phillie to be ejected from a regular season game since 2015 when Justin de Fratus took an early shower on June 16 of that season. Try to come up with another time where you’d put de Fratus and Harper in the same sentence. Not sure you can.

And it wasn’t quite over then, because Phillies manager Gabe Kapler sprinted from the dugout to get to Carlson, with Harper right behind him — and both Harper and Kapler tore into Carlson until there wasn’t much point to it anymore. It looked for all the world like Kapler wanted to get ejected, too; it also looked like Carlson knew what kind of night he was having and decided to let Kapler have his say without consequence.

Neither the ejection nor the likely suspension of Harper is good news for the Phillies. But let’s take a little time now to appreciate how nice it is to have a competitive team that knows how good it can be and, tonight anyway, won’t sit quietly when it’s getting screwed.

Bryce Harper RANG the Bell at the Sixers Game Tonight

BWanksCB - April 4, 2019

VIA TWITTER

There’s ringing the bell, and then there’s RINGING, nay, SLAMMING the bell. Bryce Harper, show me whatcha got:

Front foot down, hip locked in, stayed through the swing. Textbook. That’s how you ring the bell. That’s a $330 million stroke. Smooth, forceful, and violent. No wonder he has a 1.840 OPS.

Bryce Harper, content machine. So hot right now.

It’s Been a Terrible 24 Hours for Washington Nationals Fans

Kevin Kinkead - April 3, 2019

Photo Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s check in on Washington Nationals supporters, those slimy creeps. Those political scumbags masquerading as baseball fans.

Here’s a “reminder” from an NBC News digital political reporter:

That’s a bit of an exaggeration, Jonathan Allen. What goes on in the Capitol (on both sides of the aisle) is an embarrassment to every hard-working, tax paying American citizen. Bryce Harper just plays baseball.

Here’s more wisdom from Allen:

I went over to NBC Sports Washington to see what those jabronies wrote last night and this morning. There was nothing truly defiant, just some pitiful paragraphs like this one, after the jump:

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Bryce Harper Just Ended the Washington Nationals

BWanksCB - April 2, 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: BRAD MILLS-USA TODAY SPORTS

R.I.P. to the Washington Nationals (2005-2019). Yeah, yeah. I know. It wasn’t the start Bryce Harper was hoping for tonight during his much-hyped return to Washington.

But the finish? Oh my, the finish:

Quick question: Is 3-5, 3 RBI, a double, and a 458-foot absolute F U of a home run into the second deck good? It is, isn’t it?

How it looked from the stadium:

And the fan reaction:

Just a completely miserable night for a loser, total zero of a fanbase in Washington.

It’s just like the Redskins, but baseball. Hate to see it. You really hate to see it.

If You Won’t Boo Bryce Harper, Stay at Home, Says Washington Writer

Kevin Kinkead - April 2, 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: JAMES LANG-USA TODAY SPORTS

Washington residents are on edge today.

It’s not because their city is filled with scumbag politicians, it’s because Bryce Harper returns to the nation’s capital wearing a Phillies uniform.

Peter Hailey at NBC Sports Washington wants Nat fans remain at home if they’re not going to boo Harper:

Are you a Nats fan who’s thinking of clapping or tipping your cap or simply doing nothing when Philadelphia’s No. 3 steps into the batter’s box? Great — give your ticket to someone else who’ll do the right thing.

You’re not being “classy” by not booing. Instead, you’re wasting a prime opportunity to come together as a single fan base against someone who should be a villain until 2031.

Hold up –

Let’s do a juxtaposition here, a role-reversal, if you will.

Imagine if somebody in Philadelphia wrote that. Imagine if one of us suggested that Phillies fans stay at home unless they were going to boo the everliving shit out of a guy who signed with a division rival in free agency. Wouldn’t we be getting cooked by national media? Wouldn’t they suggest that we’re boorish and uncouth, like the 30 morons who traveled to New York City back in the day to express their displeasure with the drafting of Donovan McNabb?

Think about it. They would be all over us.

Hailey, however, does redeem himself a bit by mentioning that Washington’s front office “lagged behind” in their half-assed efforts to resign Harper, after the jump:

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Bryce Harper Thanks Washington Nationals Fans in Instagram Post

Kevin Kinkead - April 2, 2019

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

I realize my last post was a little harsh towards American politicians.

But that’s okay. They deserve it. They’re horrible, all of them. As Conor McGregor once said, “I’d like to take this chance, to apologize to absolutely nobody.”

Anyway, Bryce Harper posted an Instagram message today, thanking Nationals fans after seven seasons in Washington.

Full post after the jump:

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