Can Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper top his incredible rookie season? 
The Nationals are expecting big things from Bryce Harper in his second season. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports) Story Highlights - Harper's dad instilled values of hard work and respect for the game -- and a love of Mickey Mantle
- If Harper couldn't wear Mantle's No. 7, he would wear a number that added to 7, such as 16 or 34
- Big expectations have been set for Harper -- and he's relishing the challenge
VIERA, Fla. — F.P. Santangelo fondly remembers the aftermath from that summer evening in Miami last August, a wonderful memory that left him with goose bumps.
Washington Nationals rookie outfielder Bryce Harper, only 19, slugged a pair of home runs at Marlins Park, the second a prodigious rocket that ricocheted off an empty seat 416 feet from home plate.
With his 14th homer, the precociously talented teenager with old-school sensibilities had eclipsed a standard of excellence established by his boyhood idol, who he never saw play but to whom he continues to pay homage: Mickey Mantle.
Harper boarded the team's charter flight and plopped down next to Santangelo, the Nationals' TV analyst. The last thing the kid needed was a jet to lift him off the ground.
"I passed The Mick tonight," Harper told Santangelo.
The kid was glowing like a cobalt-blue runway light, but with neither a whiff of arrogance nor a hint of one-upmanship.
"How many times are you going to hear a player say, 'I passed The Mick,' " Santangelo says. "He loves the game so much, knows so much about Mickey Mantle and the game's history. He just knew. How cool was that? It is a moment I never will forget."
Today, Harper, even with a bum left thumb, plans to play at home in the Nationals' final exhibition game, against the New York Yankees, the organization for which he always wanted to play.
PREVIEW: NL East -- Nationals should win division
FANTASY: Spring performances do impact players' values
Thursday, he eagerly tweeted messages of the coming season to his followers — "Airport! DC! Next stop!" — as he prepared to head north with the Nationals out of spring training for the first time. Now packing 225 muscular pounds on his 6-2 frame, placed into the crucial No. 3 batting spot for a team projected as a World Series contender, Harper enters a season of perhaps unprecedented expectations for a 20-year-old.
"I want to bust my butt every single day," he says.
Even with the bum thumb, he was hitting .484 in 64 at-bats after Thursday's Grapefruit League victory against the New York Mets, with a slugging percentage of .734.
Says Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond: "He wants people to say: 'Bryce Harper is the best player in the game.' "
Game not taken for granted
Harper enters 2013 coming off one of the most productive seasons in major league history by a teenager, including 144 hits, 98 runs and 18 stolen bases.
His 22 home runs eclipsed Mel Ott's National League record before the age of 20; Harper fell two shy of tying Tony Conigliaro's major league record of 24 home runs by a 19-year-old.
Recently, a Baseball America columnist predicted the talent-rich Nationals would win the World Series and Harper would be named league MVP. Nationals manager Davey Johnson acknowledges "expectations can sometimes be overwhelming." Just as quickly, he adds: "But he is not overwhelmed at all. I think he likes the challenge."
Boy, does he. In a quiet moment of reflection in the spring training clubhouse, Harper tells USA TODAY Sports, "I want to change the game."
His reasoning is simple: "I think there are a lot of guys who take the game for granted."
"You're going to get a fiery guy no matter if I'm sick, hurt or on my deathbed," he adds. "The fans expect that. They buy tickets because they want to see you play hard every night. That is what they are going to get out of me. This organization deserves that. The city deserves that.
"I am going to do that for the rest of my life. It doesn't matter if I'm 40 years old or not. It's not about the money. I love this game, and I never will disrespect it. It's about doing what players did back in the day."
PHOTOS: BRYCE HARPER, BASEBALL'S CHOSEN ONE 
Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper, who turned 20 on Oct. 16, became the first player to win top rookie honors while playing as a teenager since Dwight Gooden in 1984. Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper edged Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Wade Miley by seven points, 112-105, in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.]()
Harper edged Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Wade Miley by seven points, 112-105, in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. John Bazemore, AP Related story Fullscreen ![Harper received 16 first-place votes, compared with 12 for Miley. Cincinnati Reds infielder Todd Frazier finished third with 45 points.]()
Harper received 16 first-place votes, compared with 12 for Miley. Cincinnati Reds infielder Todd Frazier finished third with 45 points. Jeff Curry, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Gio Gonzalez, left, Harper, center, and Michael Morse celebrate after clinching the National League East title.]()
Gio Gonzalez, left, Harper, center, and Michael Morse celebrate after clinching the National League East title. Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper's home-run total was the second-highest by a teenager after Tony Conigliaro's 24 for the Boston Red Sox in 1964.]()
Harper's home-run total was the second-highest by a teenager after Tony Conigliaro's 24 for the Boston Red Sox in 1964. Joy R. Absalon, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper makes a nice catch in the outfield against the Los Angeles Dodgers.]()
Harper makes a nice catch in the outfield against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Patrick McDermott, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen ![Harper batted .270 with 22 home runs, 59 RBI, 98 runs and 18 stolen bases in 2012.]()
Harper batted .270 with 22 home runs, 59 RBI, 98 runs and 18 stolen bases in 2012. Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper is held back by home plate umpire Jerry Lane and Chicago Cubs catcher Steve Clevenger after an inside pitch.]()
Harper is held back by home plate umpire Jerry Lane and Chicago Cubs catcher Steve Clevenger after an inside pitch. Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![When Harper registered at least one RBI in a game, Washington went 30-8 (.789). When he scored a run, the Nationals played .743 ball (55-19). And when the left-handed hitting rookie homered, the Nationals finished 15-5 (.750).]()
When Harper registered at least one RBI in a game, Washington went 30-8 (.789). When he scored a run, the Nationals played .743 ball (55-19). And when the left-handed hitting rookie homered, the Nationals finished 15-5 (.750). Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper started games at all three outfield positions, but by August, he'd cemented his status as Davey Johnson's starting center fielder.]()
Harper started games at all three outfield positions, but by August, he'd cemented his status as Davey Johnson's starting center fielder. Alex Brandon, AP Related story Fullscreen ![Harper was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft.]()
Harper was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. Scott Rovak, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper won the NL Rookie of the Month award in both May (.271, 13 extra-base hits, four home runs, .860 OPS) and September (.330, seven doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 14 RBI, 1.049 OPS).]()
Harper won the NL Rookie of the Month award in both May (.271, 13 extra-base hits, four home runs, .860 OPS) and September (.330, seven doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 14 RBI, 1.049 OPS). Evan Habeeb, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper was the youngest player in MLB to be named an All-Star, last season by NL manager Tony La Russa.]()
Harper was the youngest player in MLB to be named an All-Star, last season by NL manager Tony La Russa. H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper hits a home run in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on May 27, 2012.]()
Harper hits a home run in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on May 27, 2012. Daniel Shirey, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper is the first DC-based player to win a rookie of the year award since outfielders Albie Pearson and Bob Allison claimed consecutive American League awards in 1958 and '59, respectively.]()
Harper is the first DC-based player to win a rookie of the year award since outfielders Albie Pearson and Bob Allison claimed consecutive American League awards in 1958 and '59, respectively. Matt Slocum, AP Related story Fullscreen ![Harper salutes the crowd after hitting his first major league home run against the San Diego Padres on May 14, 2012.]()
Harper salutes the crowd after hitting his first major league home run against the San Diego Padres on May 14, 2012. Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper is hit by a pitch thrown by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels in the first inning last May. Harper later scored by stealing home.]()
Harper is hit by a pitch thrown by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels in the first inning last May. Harper later scored by stealing home. Rich Lipski, AP Related story Fullscreen ![Harper makes a great catch in center field against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.]()
Harper makes a great catch in center field against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper paced NL rookies in runs, OPS (.817), game-winning RBI (12) and extra-base hits (57).]()
Harper paced NL rookies in runs, OPS (.817), game-winning RBI (12) and extra-base hits (57). Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper doubles in the seventh inning on April 28 at Dodger Stadium for his first major league hit.]()
Harper doubles in the seventh inning on April 28 at Dodger Stadium for his first major league hit. Jake Roth, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper's first major league at-bat was April 28, 2012, at Dodger Stadium.]()
Harper's first major league at-bat was April 28, 2012, at Dodger Stadium. Jake Roth, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![When Harper debuted with the Nationals on April 28, 2012, at Dodger Stadium, he provided an immediate spark to the Nationals offense.]()
When Harper debuted with the Nationals on April 28, 2012, at Dodger Stadium, he provided an immediate spark to the Nationals offense. Jake Roth, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen ![Harper meets the news media before his major league debut against the Dodgers on April 28, 2012.]()
Harper meets the news media before his major league debut against the Dodgers on April 28, 2012. Harry How, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay 
Autoplay Show Thumbnails Show Captions Fullscreen Last Slide Next Slide Harper's dad, Ron, an ironworker, infused his youngest son not only with a potent work ethic but also a strong sense of what it means to play the game the right way. It is perhaps not surprising to learn the players Harper most admires are Mantle, George Brett and Pete Rose because "they played the game absolutely as hard as they could every day."
But it was the late player who famously wore No. 7 in Yankees pinstripes who clearly influences him the most on the diamond. Mantle, who played from 1951 to 1968, was a three-time American League MVP and clutch, record-setting World Series performer who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
Harper has the same five-tool skill set Mantle had but did not maximize becasue of injuries and a penchant for alcohol. He was a shell of his former greatness at career's end and died in 1995 from liver cancer.
His inspiration did not perish, not for Harper.
"I love him. He was unbelievable — incredible," he says. "Mantle always was my favorite player," with his love for him stirred by his father.
"I mean, watching his games on ESPN Classic and hearing things about him, he was the typical corn-fed white kid from Oklahoma," Harper says. "And so cool to watch play. I've always tried to (model) my game after his — how he played, what he accomplished. What better player to put a number on for."
During his youth, Harper wore No. 7. "Then I went to a team where I wasn't able to get No. 7. So I took 34. I always thought, 'Three plus four equals seven.' I also wore 16."
This spring, Harper is showing off the same type of strapping physique Mantle once possessed, after a regimen of weightlifting in the offseason. Harper's dad also threw batting practice to him at his old high school — "Just me and him. Shagged balls and everything. I loved it."
And Harper is still growing, a fearsome notion for National League pitchers. He also seems intent to outgrow the bat-smashing dugout act of his rookie season.
"I see a young man who knows a little bit more about who he is," Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein says. "He has matured. He has more confidence. You can see it in his demeanor, in the way he carries himself."
Better yet, Harper is crushing the ball the way he did last September after emerging from a post-All Star Game slump.
"You don't really look at him as a 20-year-old kid because of the way he goes about things," veteran teammate Jayson Werth says. "The second year for most players is a tough one. So we'll see."
SUPER ROOKIES: What will Harper, Trout do for an encore?
High ceiling, big expectations
As a high school underclassman, Harper told Sports Illustrated he desired to be the best — ever. He was 16, then a catcher; he still catches some flak for his bold statement. To this day, Johnson, who, with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, made Harper baseball's No.1 amateur draft choice in 2010, scoffs at the criticism.
"Everybody's making a big deal out of that," Johnson says. "I don't know of a guy who doesn't put on the uniform who doesn't want to be the best at his position. It's called personal pride.
"Why don't we just enjoy it? Why do we have to project? Why does everyone have to put all these expectations (on Harper)? I know he is a good story. But I just like talent. And I like to see talent expressed."
Standing in front of his locker in the Nationals' spring training clubhouse, Harper reflects on the comments and offers no apologies.
"Yeah, I think a lot of people took that the (wrong) way," he says. "I really believe that, if you do not have a dream, you do not have a life. That always has been my motto. I tell kids, 'Dream as big as you can. Think you can go to outer space — do whatever you want to do.'
"When I was younger, I said some things that were out of the ordinary. But I truly believed that. I thought, hopefully one day, I could be one of the best players ever."
Harper seems determined to prove Rizzo's belief that "he is just scratching the surface."
"He has a ceiling that, really, is unprecedented by the measures of most players," Rizzo says. "This kid is one of the highest baseball-IQ guys I ever have been around. He really knows the nuances of the game — the history of it and how to play it.''
Naturally, Harper is familiar with Mantle's sophomore season. In 1952, Mantle's productivity increased dramatically, including his batting average up from .267 to .311. Harper batted .270 as a rookie and struck out 120 times. His hero belted 536 career home runs but also whiffed a major league-record 1,710 times.
Asked how many times he struck out as a rookie, Harper doesn't blink.
"No clue. Don't care," he says. "My mind when I get in that box is, 'Get a hit.' "
Harper retains his personal style off the field, too, including a thick, brown beard and a fading faux-hawk hairstyle that takes on the offbeat look of a 1950s-era pompadour. He took to Twitter recently seeking a "rockabilly barbershop in DC."
In a lot of ways, he is like any other 20-year-old guy. He misses his dog, a chocolate lab named Swag, who is back in Las Vegas, where Harper grew up. He has a girlfriend (but don't ask for specifics). Unlike Mantle, he sports the artwork of his generation — a large tattoo on the right side of his torso with a Bible verse and his surname. As an ode to his parents, he has tats of "Pops" and "Mom," one for each wrist.
"I'm still going to smile, laugh and help my team win," he says. "I am still a kid playing baseball."
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/nationals/2013/03/28/bryce-harper-washington-nationals-mickey-mantle/2029681/
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The Nationals are expecting big things from Bryce Harper in his second season. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports) VIERA, Fla. — F.P. Santangelo fondly remembers the aftermath from that summer evening in Miami last August, a wonderful memory that left him with goose bumps. Washington Nationals rookie outfielder Bryce Harper, only 19, slugged a pair of home runs at Marlins Park, the second a prodigious rocket that ricocheted off an empty seat 416 feet from home plate. With his 14th homer, the precociously talented teenager with old-school sensibilities had eclipsed a standard of excellence established by his boyhood idol, who he never saw play but to whom he continues to pay homage: Mickey Mantle. Harper boarded the team's charter flight and plopped down next to Santangelo, the Nationals' TV analyst. The last thing the kid needed was a jet to lift him off the ground. "I passed The Mick tonight," Harper told Santangelo. The kid was glowing like a cobalt-blue runway light, but with neither a whiff of arrogance nor a hint of one-upmanship. "How many times are you going to hear a player say, 'I passed The Mick,' " Santangelo says. "He loves the game so much, knows so much about Mickey Mantle and the game's history. He just knew. How cool was that? It is a moment I never will forget." Today, Harper, even with a bum left thumb, plans to play at home in the Nationals' final exhibition game, against the New York Yankees, the organization for which he always wanted to play. PREVIEW: NL East -- Nationals should win division FANTASY: Spring performances do impact players' values Thursday, he eagerly tweeted messages of the coming season to his followers — "Airport! DC! Next stop!" — as he prepared to head north with the Nationals out of spring training for the first time. Now packing 225 muscular pounds on his 6-2 frame, placed into the crucial No. 3 batting spot for a team projected as a World Series contender, Harper enters a season of perhaps unprecedented expectations for a 20-year-old. "I want to bust my butt every single day," he says. Even with the bum thumb, he was hitting .484 in 64 at-bats after Thursday's Grapefruit League victory against the New York Mets, with a slugging percentage of .734. Says Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond: "He wants people to say: 'Bryce Harper is the best player in the game.' " Game not taken for granted Harper enters 2013 coming off one of the most productive seasons in major league history by a teenager, including 144 hits, 98 runs and 18 stolen bases. His 22 home runs eclipsed Mel Ott's National League record before the age of 20; Harper fell two shy of tying Tony Conigliaro's major league record of 24 home runs by a 19-year-old. Recently, a Baseball America columnist predicted the talent-rich Nationals would win the World Series and Harper would be named league MVP. Nationals manager Davey Johnson acknowledges "expectations can sometimes be overwhelming." Just as quickly, he adds: "But he is not overwhelmed at all. I think he likes the challenge." Boy, does he. In a quiet moment of reflection in the spring training clubhouse, Harper tells USA TODAY Sports, "I want to change the game." His reasoning is simple: "I think there are a lot of guys who take the game for granted." "You're going to get a fiery guy no matter if I'm sick, hurt or on my deathbed," he adds. "The fans expect that. They buy tickets because they want to see you play hard every night. That is what they are going to get out of me. This organization deserves that. The city deserves that. "I am going to do that for the rest of my life. It doesn't matter if I'm 40 years old or not. It's not about the money. I love this game, and I never will disrespect it. It's about doing what players did back in the day." PHOTOS: BRYCE HARPER, BASEBALL'S CHOSEN ONE Harper's dad, Ron, an ironworker, infused his youngest son not only with a potent work ethic but also a strong sense of what it means to play the game the right way. It is perhaps not surprising to learn the players Harper most admires are Mantle, George Brett and Pete Rose because "they played the game absolutely as hard as they could every day." But it was the late player who famously wore No. 7 in Yankees pinstripes who clearly influences him the most on the diamond. Mantle, who played from 1951 to 1968, was a three-time American League MVP and clutch, record-setting World Series performer who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974. Harper has the same five-tool skill set Mantle had but did not maximize becasue of injuries and a penchant for alcohol. He was a shell of his former greatness at career's end and died in 1995 from liver cancer. His inspiration did not perish, not for Harper. "I love him. He was unbelievable — incredible," he says. "Mantle always was my favorite player," with his love for him stirred by his father. "I mean, watching his games on ESPN Classic and hearing things about him, he was the typical corn-fed white kid from Oklahoma," Harper says. "And so cool to watch play. I've always tried to (model) my game after his — how he played, what he accomplished. What better player to put a number on for." During his youth, Harper wore No. 7. "Then I went to a team where I wasn't able to get No. 7. So I took 34. I always thought, 'Three plus four equals seven.' I also wore 16." This spring, Harper is showing off the same type of strapping physique Mantle once possessed, after a regimen of weightlifting in the offseason. Harper's dad also threw batting practice to him at his old high school — "Just me and him. Shagged balls and everything. I loved it." And Harper is still growing, a fearsome notion for National League pitchers. He also seems intent to outgrow the bat-smashing dugout act of his rookie season. "I see a young man who knows a little bit more about who he is," Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein says. "He has matured. He has more confidence. You can see it in his demeanor, in the way he carries himself." Better yet, Harper is crushing the ball the way he did last September after emerging from a post-All Star Game slump. "You don't really look at him as a 20-year-old kid because of the way he goes about things," veteran teammate Jayson Werth says. "The second year for most players is a tough one. So we'll see." SUPER ROOKIES: What will Harper, Trout do for an encore? High ceiling, big expectations As a high school underclassman, Harper told Sports Illustrated he desired to be the best — ever. He was 16, then a catcher; he still catches some flak for his bold statement. To this day, Johnson, who, with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, made Harper baseball's No.1 amateur draft choice in 2010, scoffs at the criticism. "Everybody's making a big deal out of that," Johnson says. "I don't know of a guy who doesn't put on the uniform who doesn't want to be the best at his position. It's called personal pride. "Why don't we just enjoy it? Why do we have to project? Why does everyone have to put all these expectations (on Harper)? I know he is a good story. But I just like talent. And I like to see talent expressed." Standing in front of his locker in the Nationals' spring training clubhouse, Harper reflects on the comments and offers no apologies. "Yeah, I think a lot of people took that the (wrong) way," he says. "I really believe that, if you do not have a dream, you do not have a life. That always has been my motto. I tell kids, 'Dream as big as you can. Think you can go to outer space — do whatever you want to do.' "When I was younger, I said some things that were out of the ordinary. But I truly believed that. I thought, hopefully one day, I could be one of the best players ever." Harper seems determined to prove Rizzo's belief that "he is just scratching the surface." "He has a ceiling that, really, is unprecedented by the measures of most players," Rizzo says. "This kid is one of the highest baseball-IQ guys I ever have been around. He really knows the nuances of the game — the history of it and how to play it.'' Naturally, Harper is familiar with Mantle's sophomore season. In 1952, Mantle's productivity increased dramatically, including his batting average up from .267 to .311. Harper batted .270 as a rookie and struck out 120 times. His hero belted 536 career home runs but also whiffed a major league-record 1,710 times. Asked how many times he struck out as a rookie, Harper doesn't blink. "No clue. Don't care," he says. "My mind when I get in that box is, 'Get a hit.' " Harper retains his personal style off the field, too, including a thick, brown beard and a fading faux-hawk hairstyle that takes on the offbeat look of a 1950s-era pompadour. He took to Twitter recently seeking a "rockabilly barbershop in DC." In a lot of ways, he is like any other 20-year-old guy. He misses his dog, a chocolate lab named Swag, who is back in Las Vegas, where Harper grew up. He has a girlfriend (but don't ask for specifics). Unlike Mantle, he sports the artwork of his generation — a large tattoo on the right side of his torso with a Bible verse and his surname. As an ode to his parents, he has tats of "Pops" and "Mom," one for each wrist. "I'm still going to smile, laugh and help my team win," he says. "I am still a kid playing baseball." Story Highlights
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Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/nationals/2013/03/28/bryce-harper-washington-nationals-mickey-mantle/2029681/
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