It's been about a month since my last blog post, and there have been a lot of things to write about during that time. I started a post about Manny Machado sliding into Dustin Pedroia (not on purpose, if you ask me!), but I wasn't able to finish it because I had to go to my daughter's track meet (those kids always get in the way of my writing, I tell ya!). Then I was going to write about Adam Jones having racial slurs yelled at him by Red Sox fans at Fenway Park, but I have such strong feelings about racism and ignorant people saying ignorant things that I wasn't able to put together a good post in true Mudville Mom style (and I would have mentioned the standing ovation that Jones got from Red Sox fans the day after that incident happened). Then yesterday, the Washington Nationals announced that they avoided arbitration with Bryce Harper by offering him a $21.6-million contract for 2018 (with a bonus if he is chosen as the MVP that year). When I heard the news, I knew I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
I have been pretty tough on Bryce over the years - he started out as a nineteen-year-old man-child with a bad temper and no regard for the toll his body would take if he ran full-speed into outfield walls or slid into a base hands-first. He played hard, but was a bit reckless. He reminded me of the "Bam Bam" character from "The Flintstones" - a muscular kid who knew nothing but how to hit a baseball really hard.
Fast-forward five years, and little Bryce has grown up. He can now formulate full and coherent sentences when interviewed, he has gotten married, and he has realized that injuries suck and it's better to take care of your body than play way too hard ALL the time (but he still hustles to first base faster than Pete Rose, and I appreciate that). Bryce has made a pretty good name for himself, and here are just a few of his accomplishments so far in his short career:
| Four-time National League All-Star |
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2012 Rookie of the Year
2015 NL Most Valuable Player
2015 ESPN MLB Player of the Year
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So is Bryce Harper worth $21-million for one year? Absolutely not - nobody is. I don't care if Roberto Clemente is reincarnated or Nolan Ryan suddenly drops 20 years (and 20 pounds) and comes back to pitch seven more no-hitters - no one is worth that kind of money. How much IS $21-million, anyway? I know it's a 21 with six zeroes after it, but I, being a reasonably intelligent person, have no concept of how much money that actually is. I can't even tell you how many pairs of shoes I could buy with that much money! And what's this extra million for being named as the Most Valuable Player? If I could vote for that award, I purposefully would not vote for Bryce just so he wouldn't make even more money! But Bryce thinks he's deserving of that much - so much so that right after he signed the deal, he hit a walk-off home run to lead the Nationals to a come-from-behind victory against the Phillies. The kid makes it hard for me to resent him. And have you seen his T-Mobile commercial? He looks so cute (and "perfectly coiffed!")! And he always flashes the universal "I love you" sign to his mother when he crosses the plate after hitting a home run, so how can you hate this guy? Yes, he has a terrible beard, but he truly loves baseball, really appreciates his fans, and genuinely plays hard and wants to win every day.
Still need some convincing that Bryce Harper is a decent guy? Check out this video where he's reading a letter he wrote to his mom (you may have to cut and paste into your browser):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzFNT5at8Qk
Isn't that the cutest thing? He even threw in a few big fancy words to prove that he's all grown up! So on this Mother's Day, let me wish a happy Mother's Day to Bryce Harper's mom, and to my mother as well, who proudly shares my blog with all her Facebook friends, emails me the list of Puerto Rican players in the Majors every spring, and mailed me my own Puerto Rican flag when I was going to meet Iván Rodriguez so he could sign it for me. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there who drove their kids to Little League practice, cheered for them at track meets or dance recitals, and drove their kids to countless medical appointments, sleepovers, and dances. And thanks to my kids for making me love being a mom - without them, I would just be "Mudville," and since it's the name of a fictitious town, that would just be boring.
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