Bryce Harper's prolonged slump

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

In all honesty how was that a selfish act saying F you to the ref? It had no bearing what so ever of the outcome of the game. Sure him getting tossed before his would be at bat was super selfish but it looks like the ref/ump had it out for him and when he said something to try to be the big star of the game he tossed him. The weird thing is, I will bet you anything that the refs say shit back to the players as well. And players have said the refs have talked shit to them. It is a game of inches people get heated. I am still surprised umps don't get lit up more than they do, which is rarely. When umpires and managers and players get in each other faces I am surprised no one takes a swing. Thats why I was so excited by that Rangers dude who lit up Bautista it was kind of exciting. 

Seriously, you don't see how it is selfish to basically ignore the walk off win and seek out the ump and tell him to fuck off?  This has to be explained to you? 

[ScottT]

I don't know about selfish. It's ridiculous, though.   It's one thing to yell at a competitor.  It's radically different to yell at an official who, if they look at you the wrong way, get criticized.  The umpire should've gotten a bonus for ignoring Harper.  I loved it.  Made Harper look like even more of an ass.  He may not be a bad guy, but he seems to act like a tool fairly often.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

8 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

The heroes and heels argument has it's merits, the talk of baseball dying and  the game needing guys like Harper to stave off it's imminent death just rings hollow.

God help us if the salvation of baseball rides on Bryce Harper.

 

 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

20 minutes ago, ScottT said:

Made Harper look like even more of an ass.  He may not be a bad guy, but he seems to act like a tool fairly often.  

The word locally is that it isn't an act - and a lot of these are people who have known Bryce since he was a young kid.

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

The word locally is that it isn't an act - and a lot of these are people who have known Bryce since he was a young kid.

An area scout I know that watched Kris Bryant, Harper, and Joey Gallo, as all three were doing their thing in LV pretty much echoes what you're saying.   

[Docwaukee]

I don't understand the need for certain people to defend him because he's young.  He's not psycho or anything.  He's just a tool.   Who cares?  So what if he's not very likable.  He finds a way to draw negative attention to himself.  There have been quite a few uber talented baseball players over the years who weren't very likable.  They certainly add interest to the game.  In the same way, Trout is more likable than most.  It's just their different personalities.  

[kevinb]

5 hours ago, Stradling said:

Seriously, you don't see how it is selfish to basically ignore the walk off win and seek out the ump and tell him to fuck off?  This has to be explained to you? 

First he celebrated with his team and second he said fuck off while he celebrated. Come on now don't u wanna see a ref react to that say something to a professional athlete and then get lit up haha how funny would that be? We can combine sports UFC with Baseball. UFC with football. UFC with hockey, wait it's already kind of there. 

[kevinb]

I'm curious and a little tipsy and don't wanna look it up. But can anyone look up off field revenue like what's Trout make and Harper make off the field. Going further name another marketable superstar in baseball who the public knows. Does the public know Kershaw or is it only cause we're in LA/OC area that we know of how great he is. Stanton is the highest paid player right after his 300 mil contract or does that not kick in yet?

[Oz27]

Reading this thread you would think he had performed below replacement level this year. He's 28th in the league in WAR. Yeah, he's had a down start to the year but he's still seriously good at baseball. I don't particularly like the guy and really I don't care at all but the downplaying of his abilities here gets a little silly.

[kevinb]

8 hours ago, elixir said:

Media was touting him as the best player in baseball surpassing trout with his hot start this season.  Baseball is a fucking humbling sport.

The medi blows don't listen to them

[Stradling]

7 hours ago, Kevinb said:

First he celebrated with his team and second he said fuck off while he celebrated. Come on now don't u wanna see a ref react to that say something to a professional athlete and then get lit up haha how funny would that be? We can combine sports UFC with Baseball. UFC with football. UFC with hockey, wait it's already kind of there. 

Ok so your hockey team just scores the game winning goal in overtime a few minutes before that you were kicked out of the game, you would celebrate and then while everyone is still celebrating you would tell the ref to f' off?  The fact that you just won in dramatic fashion doesn't erase getting kicked out of the game emotionally?  Maybe when I used the term selfish I should have just said self centered, because it is probably more accurate.  

[kevinb]

52 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Ok so your hockey team just scores the game winning goal in overtime a few minutes before that you were kicked out of the game, you would celebrate and then while everyone is still celebrating you would tell the ref to f' off?  The fact that you just won in dramatic fashion doesn't erase getting kicked out of the game emotionally?  Maybe when I used the term selfish I should have just said self centered, because it is probably more accurate.  

Completely self centered but at the same time I could understand the perspective he was in. Like think from his side, you feel singled out and the ump trying to make a name for himself to make him part of the story. You don't feel you did anything wrong. You feel you got jobbed on a call. You take that chip he has on his shoulder it looks like and you add in well he's trying to make their team lose and they won despite the ump being a jack ass kicking him out of the game and they still won. I could see where someone would be fired up to yell at the ump like hey screw you man we still won despite overcoming all that other stuff. Perceived or not I am sure thats what he was going out or at least if I was in his shoes I would try to take it that way whether it was real or fake, made up in my own mind or not. Does that make sense or not? Sorry still a little hung over and on vacation. 

[Stradling]

It makes sense but he's too talented to think the world is against him.  The ump was doing his job, Harper ran his mouth and got run.  It literally happens all the time.  He wasn't being singled out, he brought on the attention not the umpire doing his job.  Most umpires aren't trying to "make a name for themselves", dude did his job. Oh and umps make bad calls sometimes, once again it doesn't mean you're being wronged or singled out, it happens and has since the beginning of the game.  It's a game where if you as a player fail 70% of the time you'll be in the hall.  Take your strike out, wear it like a man and hope your team picks you up.  

[kevinb]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

It makes sense but he's too talented to think the world is against him.  The ump was doing his job, Harper ran his mouth and got run.  It literally happens all the time.  He wasn't being singled out, he brought on the attention not the umpire doing his job.  Most umpires aren't trying to "make a name for themselves", dude did his job. Oh and umps make bad calls sometimes, once again it doesn't mean you're being wronged or singled out, it happens and has since the beginning of the game.  It's a game where if you as a player fail 70% of the time you'll be in the hall.  Take your strike out, wear it like a man and hope your team picks you up.  

But thats not how athletes think or people think in the heat of the moment. Things happen doesn't make him a bad dude because he went a little ape on an ump. And yes its a game where 70% of the time you fail and 30% of the time you get it right, similar to umpires 30% of the time they fail 70% of the time they get it right. How we fix this is no more umpires  Automatic strike zones you have the technology use it, and then you don't ever have to worry about a manager or a player bitching to an ump again. Case closed end of story and the fans can watch the best players do what they do best play baseball not try and show up, bitch at or try and convince an umpire its a strike  

[Blarg]

It would be awesome if Harper makes a baserunning error and the umpire runs up to him and yells, fuck off.

[Angels#1Fan]

13 minutes ago, Blarg said:

It would be awesome if Harper makes a baserunning error and the umpire runs up to him and yells, fuck off.

I think we'd all agree with that.

[kevinb]

4 hours ago, Blarg said:

It would be awesome if Harper makes a baserunning error and the umpire runs up to him and yells, fuck off.

only if after he makes the error Harper then tosses the ump out of the game haha. 

[NrM]

At which point is a slump no longer considered a slump?

Hitting .213 with a .720 OPS over his last 82 Games. .692 over his last 62 games.  He's definitely been unlucky(very low BABIP), but there has to be something more to it.

How often does a player go from having a historically great season to struggling as much as he has.

[Angelsjunky]

He's too talented not to improve. Maybe 2015 was a bit flukish, but I see no reason why he can't bounce back to .290+/.950+ with 35+ HR next year.

[Troll Daddy]

Maddon really f**ked with his head.

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

Yasiel Harper.

Bryce Puig. 

[Oz27]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

At which point is a slump no longer considered a slump?

Hitting .213 with a .720 OPS over his last 82 Games. .692 over his last 62 games.  He's definitely been unlucky(very low BABIP), but there has to be something more to it.

How often does a player go from having a historically great season to struggling as much as he has.

Harper's career arc so far is really bizarre. He's too good to keep being this bad. But you're right, it's really beyond the "slump" point.

[CaliAngel]

lol he threw his bat down and started pouting like a little girl tonight after missing a fat salami that shoulda left the park.

Never seen Trout do that...oh that's right, because Trouts a man.

Where's m0nkey when you need her?

[m0nkey]

He's just been garbage

[Stradling]

How anyone blamed Dusty Baker yet?