Article: A Tale of Two Rookies: Harper and Dozier

[Twins Fan From Afar]

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?563-A-Tale-of-Two-Rookies-Harper-and-Dozier

[Chance]

First, great article, it was fun to read. One thing that I find noteworthy when discussing Harper is his OBP. It is fairly impressive to have a .333 at 19 years old, especially when your batting average is down at .244. The Twins with higher OBP than Harper are Willingham, Mauer, Revere, and Span, with Doumit and Diamond (had to throw him in there) having the same as Harper. In my opinion, Harper moved fast through the minors, not only because of the hype, but also because he was pitched around more than most minor leaguers. He also shows a great willingness to take walks when most young players even veterans would want to swing. He might have a big ego but he has been up late in games with runners on and the score tied or trailing by a run or two and he will work the count and take some pretty good pitches. That in my opinion is the best trait he has shown so far in his young career.

 

With that said, I really like Dozier and I hope he doesn't slump or completely stumble like Valencia did after a great rookie showing. I realize they are completely different players with different work ethics but just saying.

[ashbury]

> The point here isn't to compare Dozier and Harper to one another -- that would be senseless.

 

I agree with this, and for that reason I'm missing some subtlety of your post, which holds up the two players side by side without "comparing" them somehow.

 

It seems a bit like comparing Google stock to IBM stock when the former IPOed in 2004 and the two share prices were similar. IBM had a long track record, while Google's story was pretty much all ahead of it. IBM's been a solid enough investment, while Google has multiplied. It's not a great analogy, people to companies (despite what the Supreme Court says), but a 19-year-old Harper has tremendous upside if he's willing to learn, while a 25-year-old Dozier already has the experience and polish that will likely mark the rest of his career.

 

There is simply no mystery why one player gets more "hype" than the other.

[Twins Fan From Afar]

> The point here isn't to compare Dozier and Harper to one another -- that would be senseless.

 

I agree with this, and for that reason I'm missing some subtlety of your post, which holds up the two players side by side without "comparing" them somehow.

You're giving me too much credit -- there was no attempt at subtlety here.

 

I was just thinking yesterday that, other than knowing that Harper had hit 2 HRs, and other than watching replays of some good plays, I didn't really know how he was doing on the season. So after I looked up his stats, I thought, "well that's about what I would expect given everything." Which is basically how I feel about Dozier thus far.

 

So I guess the only comparison I would make between these two is that they are both performing about how one might have expected them to perform, taking into account their ages, skill sets, ceilings, and minor league experiences. Neither Dozier nor Harper is playing out of this world baseball, but they're also not treading water.

[stringer bell]

Very happy with Dozier's performance so far. The key for Dozier now will be to adjust to the adjustments that teams will make once he has made it around the league. The second key will be to add on. Perhaps add more walks, power or stolen bases to his already satisfactory offensive performance. Dozier already looks to be a solid shortstop--that is a big improvement over last year's misadventures.

[twinstalker]

One player will be a superstar, the other could be a solid player for ten years. Let's not throw glitter on both and pretend they're close to the same. One is holding his own in the major leagues at age 19. That's just plain stupid. It doesn't happen. Harper and Arod.

[darin617]

What about Mike Trout?

[Twins Fan From Afar]

What about Mike Trout?

Trout has been excellent, for sure. He was up the last half of 2011, so I was thinking more in terms of truly new guys.

[Bark's Lounge]

TFFA, enjoyable article. Like everyone has pretty much said, both players have lived up to their realistic expectations and Dozier's contribution has made me pleased. I am going to quickly focus on Bryce Harper for a minute and it is off the subject of your article and his performance. I feel like Harper is going to have some big trouble for a while. Bryce has prima donna written all over him. He is only 19 and cocky to say the very least. For the last 4 years the media has eaten a mile of his "bleep" to get to him. I would guess that all he knows in life as a mid to late adolescent and young adult is that the world seemingly revolves around him. To me, I can see it in his eyes and demeanor when he gives an interview or quote or whatever. If my hunch is true, this will cause some chemistry failings in the clubhouse to which he belongs and dissension among his teammates while his career is ongoing. PED's aside, he has the smell of being a Barry Bond's type. Great results, 2nd place finishes, and at the end of the day... loathed by the fans and the MLB community. I wish the kid the best, and he is certainly young enough to change his ways, but this is what I have seen since he became a baseball media sensation. Sorry to make this response too long. I really enjoy discussing the whole of baseball, and not being limited to the Twins (not that I don't enjoy discussing the Twins). This was an opportunity. Great Article TFFA!

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

I'm a fan of both these players and it's great to see them having some success, even it's been brief. Despite his immaturity, I think Harper is a fairly likeable person. He abstains from the spotlight, although there is the hype, comparisons, legacy, etc. surrounding him.

[CDog]

How can you possibly claim Dozier is as good or will have as good a career as Harper, you numbskull!!!!

 

(kidding)

[CDog]

One player will be a superstar, the other could be a solid player for ten years. Let's not throw glitter on both and pretend they're close to the same. One is holding his own in the major leagues at age 19. That's just plain stupid. It doesn't happen. Harper and Arod.

Not to take away too much, but the list is certainly longer than that. Griffey Jr immediately pops to mind. I thought Mantle came up at 19. There...it's doubled in size already!

[Twins Fan From Afar]

How can you possibly claim Dozier is as good or will have as good a career as Harper, you numbskull!!!!

 

(kidding)

I, know, right?

I sincerely regret making the following statement: "Brian Dozier will be, heads and shoulders, a better ballplayer than Bryce Harper."