Congratulations, Bryce!

Originally published on November, 16, 2010

Last week, I traveled west to catch some Arizona Fall League (AFL) baseball.

I met my mother in Scottsdale, and we watched a pair of Scorpions games before driving together to the Las Vegas area. My Mom (Sue), my Aunt Judy, and a few cousins live in Henderson, Nevada, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to combine baseball with a family visit.

Mom doesn’t follow baseball or the Nationals, but has become more interested in both partly because I love it, and partly because my enthusiasm can be like an infectious disease for friends and family. This year, we went to 3 games together, one in Washington and two in the Phoenix area.

She might not be a baseball expert, but that doesn’t mean my mother lacks an eye for talent.

On Friday, we caught the end of batting practice at Scottsdale Stadium. Over and over, we heard the solid crack of a bat, then watched a ball soar.

“Wow! Who’s that guy?” my Mom asked.

I offered a few details about the 18-year-old kid who was drafted in June by the Nationals, signed a crazy-big contract in August, and has played a handful of professional baseball games in the AFL. Bryce Harper wouldn’t be playing in Friday night’s game, but we’d get to see him play on Saturday against the Surprise Rafters.

Saturday afternoon we watched a player throw a rocket from right field to the infield. “Wow!” my Mom said again.

“Same kid,” I told her.

“It’s pretty obvious that he’s different.”

Yes, pretty obvious.

Photos: All photos from the AFL game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and Surprise Rafters on November 13, 2010. Bryce Harper (1) gets loose in the on-deck circle, (2) sports his trademark eye black, and (3) signs autographs for fans.