Bryce Harper once sounded off against traditionalists for making baseball 'a tired sport' bereft of expression
Baseball has always been notorious for being an excessively prim and proper sport. Traditionalists have always frowned upon excessive and expressive celebrations.
Baseball rookies have often gotten flack for their on-field exuberance, much more than any other rivaling sport. But with a new wave of youngsters making their way into the league, many of those unwritten rules seem to be on the decline.
"Baseball's tired. It's a tired sport."
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"Baseball's tired. It's a tired sport." Why Bryce Harper wants to change MLB forever: http://es.pn/1Wc5i6V" - ESPN, Twitter
In a conversation with ESPN’s Tim Keown in 2016, Bryce Harper provided a detailed opinion on that traditional culture.
"Baseball's tired. It's a tired sport because you can't express yourself," Harper said. "You can't do what people in other sports do."
Harper went on to defend the young guys coming into the league with their newfound exuberance. He defended that excitement and flair as important aspects that make the sport fun and watchable.
"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 ... there's so many guys in the game now who are so much fun."
"Jose Fernandez is a great example. Jose Fernandez will strike you out and stare you down into the dugout and pump his fist. And if you hit a homer and pimp it? He doesn't care. Because you got him. That's part of the game."
"It's not the old feeling - hoorah ... if you pimp a homer, I'm going to hit you right in the teeth. No. If a guy pimps a homer for a game-winning shot ... I mean - sorry."
He went on to compare the game of baseball to football and basketball. Kids are attracted to sports that are fun and exhilarating. Baseball is at its best when the players show their personalities.
"If a guy pumps his fist at me on the mound, I'm going to go, 'Yeah, you got me. Good for you. Hopefully I, get you next time.' That's what makes the game fun."
"You want kids to play the game, right? What are kids playing these days? Football, basketball. Look at those players - Steph Curry, LeBron James. It's exciting to see those players in those sports. Cam Newton - I love the way Cam goes about it. He smiles, he laughs. It's that flair. The dramatic," Harper concluded.
Bryce Harper was 23 when he won the National League MVP award
In 2015, Harper was selected as the 2015 National League Most Valuable Player by a unanimous vote.
Bryce Harper is unanimously voted National League MVP https://t.co/TjsX90xI86
"Bryce Harper is unanimously voted National League MVP" - Bleacher Report, Twitter
At just 23 years old, Harper was also the youngest player to ever unanimously win the award. Harper became the first player in Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos history to win an MVP award.
Bryce Harper was also chosen as the 2015 MLB Person of the Year by ESPN.