MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS

This is an interesting baseball season, because of the long-term contracts to key players that will end at the close of the 2012 World Series. One of the most interesting of the players involved is the Atlanta Brave’s catcher

Brian McCann.

After 8 years with the Braves, and hitting around .280 and about 22 home runs, he has been a steady presence for the pitching staff and plays about 130 to 140 games a year, and for a catcher that is good.

Catchers are a great addition to a team when they hit, and when they hit for power, is even better. McCann is just such a catcher. His contract expires this year. Can the Braves resign him? Will he have a banner year in 2012 that will raise his value, so high that the Braves can’t afford him? Think you know who is out there to take up that slack, the Dodgers and Yankees.

The Yankees Martin is hitting at this writing: .203 with 8 homers, power with no real production. Ellis and Treanor on the Dodgers seem to have the position secured with both hitting around .300, so the Dodgers would not be likely to pursue McCann.

Then there is the Miami Marlins with Buck and Hayes, 2 catchers yet to prove themselves and the Phillies with Schneider who can’t hit period. Interesting what will happen.

BRYCE HARPER

There is no doubt about it: the best thing to happen to baseball right now is Bryce Harper! Here is a kid that the whole baseball world is watching. He is something special.

Leo Durocher, that crusty old Dodger/Giant manager of old once explained the Harper’s of baseball in this way: he is a 5 tool player. What that means is simply he can hit, hit with power, run catch and throw. Bryce Harper has all that and probably more! He is being compared to Mickey Mantle, and is built like him, hits like him, and someday will be in the Hall of Fame right next to him.

Harper can hit a baseball far, and 4 of his homers so far are over 420 feet! That is power, and his is just getting better everyday. He is young so staying power is the question, will he grow or will he fade away like an old soldier?

He has something else that reminds old baseball fans of Mantle-swagger. It looks like Mantle when he goes up there to hit and the approach is one of; step aside small change I’m sending the white sphere out of here!

That’s all I wrote, folks!