All-Star – Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper, the 19 year-old outfielder for the Washington Nationals made it to Baseball’s Midsummer Classic.

Is it hard to believe? Not really.

If you have watched any games at all this season either on cable or at Nats stadium you see how he impacts the entire game, how he plays to win. Opposing team pitchers are now throwing soft stuff all around him and not at him like the Phillies Cole Hamels did earlier this year.

Injuries to chosen All-Star players, one of which is the National’s own Ian Desmond, made room for this year’s National League All-Star manager Tony La Russa to select Harper to fill the void. This made Harper the youngest position player (i.e. not a pitcher) to ever be selected and hopefully play in the All-Star game.

Harper found a way this spring to make a difference for his ball club; the fans recognized it by voting him 3rd alternate in the public selection ballot for placement on the All-Star team. Gee, now if we could only do the same with all Congressmen at a nationwide Midterm fan based ballot poll – maybe we could jump-start their performances.

Tickets to see the Nats & Bryce, the All Star

Yes, he has played in many large baseball arenas, minor and major, in his first 15 months with the Nationals organization. But forever, whether or not he makes it to the shoreline of Otsego Lake at the source of the Susquehanna River in that small Village of Cooperstown, NY he will be known as an All-Star, a special one, the youngest position player ever to date.

So on Tuesday, July 10th turn on your local Fox affiliate around 7PM and watch history in the making in Kansas City, as Harper’s name is announced and he steps up on the chalk line for the national anthem. Let me not overstate the meaning of this date and activity – to baseball fans and the casual viewers – this is Harper’s first introduction to the larger sports world viewing public. Hopefully, there will be many more of these introductions to come.

If you miss this game – there is time and tickets still available to watch him and the Nats during the remainder of the second half of this exciting baseball season in Washington.

About Phil Fabrizio

Phil Fabrizio is an event, news and sports photographer in the Washington D.C. Metro area. He lives in North Potomac and has operated Sugarloaf Photography since 1985. He is a member of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the Glen Echo Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc in Glen Echo. Stop by Phil's PhotoLoaf site or follow him on Twitter @Photoloaf. Find Phil's blog on MyMCMedia here.

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