Bryceharper battery does have a nice ring to it.
He (Harper) knows his baseball history, and when I mentioned Al Kaline’s name, there was no blank stare. Yes, he was well aware that Kaline won a batting title.
“At age 20,” Harper said. “Who doesn’t know that? Winning a batting title at 20? That’s special.”
Kaline, who was in the big leagues at 18 and was a regular at 19, knows who Harper is, too.
“I hope they give him a chance,” Kaline said. “If I could do it, more guys could. From everything I’ve read, he’s a super talent who will be a big star in this game, if he stays healthy.
“I look forward to talking to him.”
Kaline knows that the baseball world of 2012 is much changed from the world of 1954, when he broke in with the Tigers. The increased attention brings increased pressure.
...But in other ways, Harper has it much better.
“I was not the most welcome person in camp,” Kaline said. “Nobody would go to dinner with me. I was basically isolated. I had a guy grab me by the shirt and say, ‘Don’t ever talk to me. You took my friend’s job. You shouldn’t be here.’”
Repoz
Posted: February 29, 2012 at 07:24 AM |
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1. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: February 29, 2012 at 10:20 AM (#4070772)That's pretty low class. So much for meritocracy.
But that was the Golden Age!
Pete Rose faced the same thing when he came up, with the added issue of racial division. None of the white players would have anything to do with him, because he took Don Blasingame's job. The black players were his pals.
If Werth moves to center, it would be Bernadina.
Well, when you are playing in age without guaranteed multi-year contracts, good medical coverage, non-outrageous salaries, and no pension most insiders are rather against most outsiders.
Of course, Kaline's OPS in '54 was 80, so maybe he had a point. I think he took Don Lund's job. Kaline had an OPS+ of 51 the first half of the season and 111 the second half, if I'm reading BBref right.
sounds like should have been grabbing the GMs shirt, not some young kid.
Pete Rose faced the same thing when he came up, with the added issue of racial division. None of the white players would have anything to do with him, because he took Don Blasingame's job. The black players were his pals.
Why'd the black guys all hate Blasingame? Why'd all the white guys love him?
You'd think there's be some racial cross-ove on the friends/enemies list?
And what a pity a guy named "Blasingame" was not a hard-throwing pitcher.
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