Photo Credit: Evan Habeeb/ USA TODAY Sports
Even the simple mention of Bryce Harper’s name will get people talking. Most of it will be about his cocky attitude, the fact that he was the youngest position player to ever win the MVP award or maybe it’s his appearance in ESPN’s Body Issue. Whatever it is, Harper is one of the most popular baseball players right now. His recent remarks to the media have raised eyebrows for some and received praise for others, but which side is the right side?
His comments first appeared in an ESPN feature on Harper. He was discussing the dramatics of other sports, but when talking about baseball he said, “Baseball’s tired, It’s a tired sport, because you can’t express yourself. You can’t do what people in other sports do. I’m not saying baseball is, you know, boring or anything like that, but it’s the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair. If that’s Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom or Manny Machado or Joc Pederson or Andrew McCutchen or Yasiel Puig — there’s so many guys in the game now who are so much fun.” The comments were certainly unlike anything other players have ever said publicly, but that does not mean Harper is backing off from his comments.
As soon as former and current players saw the article, they were quick to comment on it. One of the most popular responses came from Hall Of Fame pitcher, Goose Gossage. At age 64, Gossage is clearly on the side of “old-fashioned” baseball, free of showboating and expression. Gossage really let Harper have it saying, “What does this kid know? This kid doesn’t know squat about the game, and no respect for it. Here he is making millions of frickin’ dollars, that’s great. I’m happy for all the players and all the money that they’re making, because it’s hard-earned by all the players that came before these guys…. We fought for everything these players are getting. So let me tell Bryce Harper something: go look at the history, figure it out and quit acting like a fool.” Those statements are the embodiment of the old-school mentality.
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado was famously hit by Jonathan Papelbon in a game against the Nationals. His comments echo Harper’s sentiments, “This game is about us. We like to play. We like to have fun. We play 100 percent every day. We go out there and grind every day, and people like that, people get excited when they see it. As much fun as we have, we’ve got to keep having fun and not lose that.” Machado agreeing with Harper’s comments are the embodiment of an evolution in baseball and one that needs to be getting more attention.
It’s easy to see where both sides are coming from. The older era wants to keep the sanctity of baseball and the integrity of the game. The younger generation respects the game, but wants the freedom to be able to express themselves like other athletes in different sports. Both sides love the game which is what matters in the end.  With the world of social media now, we all want some more excitement with our sports and why should America’s pastime be left out?
