Bryce Harper and the Babe

The Washington Post created a terrific video that compares the swings of the Babe and the Bryce. I saw it yesterday on their site and it was amazing. Their movements are so much alike! Today, the video doesn't seem to be working. Here's hoping that's a temporary problem. (There's another article at the Post that describes his swing and compares it to Ruth. No video, though.)

But of course, this is the US. So obviously, all you have to do is go to YouTube to find something similar to the missing Post video. It's not as flashy or well-produced, but it has the same goal and delivers the goods. Check it out. Bryce is the Babe.

This kid is baseball itself. If you're a fan and you're not watching Bryce Harper, you're missing the biggest thing to hit the game in decades.

Best baseball opening day ever

I had a great time watching the first games of the baseball season yesterday. I was sick with the flu (or whatever) but I hardly noticed.

The Mets won their game 11-2. John Niese -- one of my favorite pitchers -- was terrific. It was a pleasure to see the team play this well on the first day of the season.

But that was nothing compared to the Washington Nationals game. Baseball god Bryce Harper, after hitting .478 in spring training, hit a home run in each of his first two at-bats. And he threw a ball pefectly, all the way from the outfield to home plate, and started one of the best double-plays I've ever seen.

As if that wasn't enough, the Red Sox capped off the day by trouncing the evil Yankees. Seriously: Best. Opening Day. Ever.

What did I tell you?

It's official. Bryce Harper is the NL Rookie of the Year. I love this kid -- and no, not that way. He is baseball personified. The kid put in a full, great year at the age of 19! He didn't turn 20 until the season ended.

Bryce Harper is the new Babe Ruth. He is going to enliven baseball for the next 20 years. Congrats, kid. You deserved it.

Here's a link to the Nats page about the award. Very cool. And if you wonder why they chose him, check out my early-season post about Harper. The kid is a live wire. You literally can't keep your eyes off him during a game. I can't wait to see what he does next year.

Gio gets his 20th win

What did I tell you guys early in the season? I said Gio Gonzalez is the man. Well, yesterday he got his 20th win for the Nats. He's the first pitcher to do this in 2012, in either league. I'm so happy for him.

It was also a big day for my other favorite pitcher, R.A. Dickie, who logged his 19th win for the Mets. He's fun to watch, especially when you knew him from his pre-knuckleball days. The guy wasn't very good and everyone thought he was washed up. And now, he might get the Cy Young. I love reversals of fortune. These two pitchers made this an exciting season for fans like me.

As for the players, Bryce Harper, the Nats' outfielder is my favorite. The kid's great to watch. He's baseball personified and I have no doubt he'll end up in the Hall of Fame. It may seem dumb to say this about someone who's only 19, but even the pro's seem to feel this way about him. They're fired up each time they watch him play. The kid is Mr. Baseball, despite his age. There's no doubt about this.

Aaaargh. The season's almost over. I'm glad that I finished writing Xmas Carol so I can devote myself to the post-season games. I will watch every single game. (And then I will quietly slip into my usual post-season depression. But it was grand while it lasted.)

Guess I'll have to watch the All-Star Game

My ultra-favorite player this year, Bryce Harper, just replaced Giancarlo Stanton on the All-Star team. The rookie is only 19 and is the youngest player ever to make it to the All-Star game. This is very cool. And mark my words, he'll make waves at the game. This kid is amazing.

So now I'm going to have to watch the game. Four players from one of my two main teams, the Nats, are going to the All-Star game: Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond, Gio Gonzalez and Steven Strasburg. Plus Dickey from the Mets will also be there. So yup, I have to watch the game. Starlin Castro's going too. With all these guys in the line-up, I can't diss the game (too much) this year.

But to be clear: it's not a game, it's a show. If it was a game, they'd keep the best players in for the whole thing. Instead, they trot people out like runway models. It's not a game. Just saying.

Mr. Baseball, 2012 edition

So far it's been a mega-year for baseball fans. You might not see it this way if you're a Cubs fan, but a ton of other teams have been playing really, really well.

It's the pitching. It's so damn good lately. I've never watched so many good pitcher-duels. My guy, Gio Gonzalez is doing splendidly, as is R.A. Dickie, my favorite pitcher. It's come down to the Nats and the Mets for me. They're my teams this year. The Mets were always my team but the Nats finally got good enough to be exciting.

And it's not just the pitchers who make the Nats great. If you're not a baseball fan, you probably don't even know who Bryce Harper is. He's a kid who just came up for the Nats and instantly became a baseball star. This kid is baseball personified. It's always fun to watch him play.

The best game so far was the one between the Nats and the Phillies where asshole Cole Hamels, trying to look like a guy, purposely hit Bryce Harper in the back with a pitch. He admitted it later: he tried to hit this 19-year-old kid who'd just come up and had never done anything to him in his life. What a cowardly move. Cole Hamels, you will always suck, in my eyes. Always.

But Bryce got on base because Cole hit him, and then he stole not one but two bases, including home. He got back at Hamels, big-time. You gotta love a kid like that. And this is the way he plays every night. Baseball got a lot better the day Bryce Harper joined the game.

Sorry if you're not a baseball fan and are bored by these posts. I read a few bloggers regularly who like other sports, and I'm totally uninterested in their posts (because they're about football, for instance). What can I say? If you're not into baseball, skip these posts.

Anyone else out there enthused by the current baseball season? It's a great year.