Rob Neyer
Born	(1966-06-22) June 22, 1966 (age 46) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Residence	Portland, Oregon
Nationality	American
Occupation	Sportswriter
Years active	1996—present
Employer	SB Nation

Rob Neyer (born June 22, 1966) is a baseball author and writer for SB Nation. He started his career working for Bill James and STATS, and then joined ESPN.com as a columnist from 1996 to January 2011 before becoming SB Nation's National Baseball Editor. A disciple of major sabermetrics figure Bill James, his writing is an outlet for baseball fans to gain insight that statistics and historical analysis can offer.

Biography[link]

Rob Neyer spent the early years of his childhood in the upper Midwest and later moved to the middle Midwest, close to the Kansas City area.^[1] He attended the University of Kansas, where he picked up a passion for baseball after reading Peter Golenbock's Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Bill James Baseball Abstract 1984. Uninterested in school, Neyer left college during his fourth year and took a job roofing houses.^[2]

Neyer was introduced to Bill James by a casual friend, Mike Kopf, nine months after dropping out of college. He was soon hired as a research assistant. Neyer's first project with James was helping compile material for the book This Time Let's Not Eat the Bones, a collection of material from the Abstracts.^[3] After four years under the tutelage of James, Neyer took a job at STATS, Inc., before joining ESPNet SportsZone, ESPN.com's forerunner, in 1996.^[2]

He lives in Portland, Oregon.^[3]

Writing[link]

Neyer wrote for ESPN for 15 years from 1996 to January 31, 2011.^[4] He joined SB Nation as its National Baseball Editor on February 1, 2011.^[5] In an interview, he said that he had had prior opportunities to leave ESPN.com but that nothing had felt right until this offer from SB Nation.^[6] Within the baseball writing community Neyer is a part of the Baseball Writers Association of America and the 10-person voting panel for the Fielding Bible Awards.^[7]

He is the author or co-author of six books: Baseball Dynasties (2000) with Eddie Epstein, Feeding the Green Monster (2001), Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups (2003), The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers (2004) with Bill James, Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders (2006), and Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends (2008).

Working through both historical research and statistical analysis, Neyer critiques conventional narratives in sports as a historian. In reference to his book Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends Neyer stated, "I'm not going to argue with Aristotle. Maybe poetry is more important--and most of the stories in the book do qualify as poetry--but I think there's a small place for history, too. And since I'm no poet, I'm happy to fill that small place when I can."^[8]

Bill James describes him as "the best of the new generation of sportswriters. He knows baseball history like a child knows his piggy bank. He knows how to pick it up and shake it and make what he needs fall out."^[9]

Mentorship[link]

Dave Cameron has attributed Rob Neyer as having introduced himself and most of his generation of baseball writers to sabermetrics.^[10] Neyer edited and helped Jonah Keri with his book The Extra 2 Percent^[11] and worked with Carson Cistulli to develop his criteria for the NERD formula.^[12]

Recently, as National Baseball Editor at SBNation, he has helped fellow editor Jeff Sullivan (originally of Lookoutlanding) reach a larger audience, as well as editor Grant Brisbee, writers like Jason Brannon, Will McDonald, or Dan Moore. Moore cites Neyer as "the reason I'm writing about the St. Louis Cardinals today."^[13]

Writing controversies[link]

[edit] Feeding the Green Monster

In 2000, Neyer spent the summer in Boston on a book project, writing about the Red Sox that season at Fenway Park. However, his draft was harshly rejected by his New York publishing house that December. Neyer re-edited the submission and lost money by publishing the eventual Feeding the Green Monster as an e-book in spring 2001. (Neyer ruefully retold the fiasco, "Bestseller to E-book in One Easy Step," on his website.)^[14]

Derek Jeter[link]

In February 2001, Neyer infuriated many New York Yankees fans when he cited metrics such as win shares and Clay Davenport's Fielding Translations to argue that Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter's defense consistently rated among the worst fielders at his position.^[15] Subsequent studies and the development of advanced metrics for evaluating fielding capabilities continued to support Neyer's evaluation and showed Jeter to be consistently among the lower ranking American League shortstops in fielding prowess.^[16][17] However, managers and coaches disagreed, as Jeter won five Gold Glove awards from 2004 to 2006 and 2009 to 2010.^[18]

Neyer addressed this controversy in a recent article entitled Derek Jeter Retooling His Swing After Down Season; Let's Hope It Works. Neyer justifies his previous articles saying that "everybody was saying Jeter was perfect, and if there's one thing I know too well it's that nobody's perfect" but then added "Derek Jeter is one of the five or six greatest shortstops ever, and I'm really going to miss him when he's gone. I don't mean gone, physically. I mean gone, as an outstanding player."^[19]

[edit] One Day at Fenway

In September 2004, Neyer used a pseudonym ("Ike Farrell") on Amazon.com to write a negative customer review of One Day at Fenway, a then-new baseball book by Steve Kettmann.^[20] Neyer subsequently took offense to positive reviews that he believed Kettmann’s friends and relatives had posted.^[21]

"How did this project go so terribly wrong?" Farrell/Neyer wrote. "Presumably the author wound up with plenty of source material, and so I can only assume that he [Kettmann] lacked either the talent or the time (or both) to shape the material into a decent piece of non-fiction."^[22]

A Newsday newspaper reporter quickly identified Neyer publicly as the actual reviewer.^[21] On September 6, Neyer issued an article explaining his actions, "I had such a visceral reaction to Kettmann’s book that I felt compelled to do something" and so, under a "pen name" he decided to write a customer review on Amazon.com.^[21] "I didn’t even imagine that it could do anybody any good if I wrote as myself," Neyer rationalized.^[21]

Kettmann responded: "The thing that I find strange about all of this is that [Oakland A's general manager] Billy Beane, someone who I thought Rob Neyer respects, read my book cover to cover and told me he loved it."^{[citation needed]}

Baseball Writers Association of America[link]

In December 2007, Neyer was declined admission to the Baseball Writers Association of America, members of which vote for National Baseball Hall of Fame candidates and several annual Major League Baseball awards, including the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards.^[23] Neyer and his colleague Keith Law were refused due to the BBWAA's perception that they did not attend enough games in person.^[23] The following year, during the MLB winter meetings in Las Vegas, Neyer and Law were admitted into the BBWAA.^[24]

References[link]

External links[link]

	Baseball portal
	Journalism portal

• Rob Neyer's official web site
• Rob Neyer at Twitter
• Rob Neyer's SB Nation page
• Rob Neyer archive at ESPN.com
• Bronx Banter's interview with Rob Neyer (May 6, 2003)
• Rob Neyer on FanGraph's Audio (March 12, 2010)

Bryce Harper
Washington Nationals – No. 34
Outfielder
Born: (1992-10-16) October 16, 1992 (age 19) Las Vegas, Nevada
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 28, 2012 for the Washington Nationals
Career statistics (through May 30, 2012)
Batting average	.274
Home runs	4
Runs batted in	11
Teams
Washington Nationals (2012–present)
Career highlights and awards
2010 Golden Spikes Award

Bryce Aron Max Harper^[1] (born October 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. Harper was selected by the Nationals with the first overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. He stands at 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 225 lbs.^[2][3]

Harper won the 2010 Golden Spikes Award, awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player.^[4] Going into the 2012 season, baseball prospect-watchers, including Baseball America, MLB.com, and Baseball Prospectus routinely ranked Harper as a top #3 prospect. He made his MLB debut with the Nationals on April 28, 2012.

College career[link]

Harper earned his General Educational Development after his sophomore year at Las Vegas High School in December 2009, making him eligible for the June 2010 amateur draft in order to begin his professional baseball career earlier.^[5][6] For the 2010 college season, 17-year-old Harper enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada of the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC) in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). An advantage for Harper in his eventual transition to his professional career was that the SWAC, like MLB, uses wooden bats in conference play. In 66 games, he hit 31 home runs, 98 RBI, hitting .443/.526/.987 (AVG/OBP/SLG).^[7] His 31 home runs shattered the school's previous record of 12. He was named the 2010 SWAC Player of the Year.^[8] The next day, in a doubleheader, he went 2-for-5 with a three-run double in the first game, and in the second game went 6-for-6 with 4 home runs, a triple, and a double.^[9]

On June 2, 2010, Harper was ejected from a National Junior College World Series game by home plate umpire Don Gilmore after a called third strike. Harper drew a line in the dirt with his bat as he left the plate, presumably to show where he thought the pitch was. It was Harper's second ejection of the year, and resulted in a two-game suspension.^[10] The suspension ended his amateur career, as Southern Nevada lost the game from which Harper was ejected and lost their next game with Harper suspended, which eliminated them from the tournament.^[11]

Harper won the 2010 Golden Spikes Award.^[4] In May 2012, the book The Last Natural: Bryce Harper's Big Gamble in Sin City and the Greatest Amateur Season Ever by sportswriter Rob Miech was published by the Thomas Dunne Books imprint at St. Martin's Press. The book chronicles Harper's historic college season and culminates in his being the first player selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft and signing a multimillion-dollar contract just before the signing deadline. Steve Rushin endorsed the book as "a fascinating eyewitness account, a baseball version of the Beatles in Hamburg circa 1961, just before the klieg lights get switched on."^[12]

Professional career[link]

Harper playing for the Hagerstown Suns, Single-A affiliates of the Nationals, in 2011.

Harper was drafted #1 overall by the Washington Nationals,^[13] becoming the Nationals second consecutive number one overall pick of the Major League Baseball Draft, following Stephen Strasburg.^[14] Although Harper had predominantly played catcher, the Nationals drafted him as an outfielder to extend his career and to accelerate his player development, so that he could debut in MLB earlier. He has been considered one of the most highly touted prospects in Major League Baseball History. ^[13]

Harper signed a 7-year contract worth $18.9 million,^[15] and on August 26, 2010, Harper was introduced by the Nationals. Harper said he chose to wear #34 because "I always loved Mickey Mantle, three and four equals seven."^[16]

After batting .419 with a .407 OBP (and leading his team in hits, homers, RBI and walks) in the Nationals' fall instructional league, Harper was selected to participate in the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions taxi-squad,^[17] the second-youngest player in the history of the league (two days older than when Mets' prospect Fernando Martínez appeared in the league in 2006).^[18] He batted .343 and slugged .729.^[19] On November 20, Harper and the Scottsdale Scorpions won the 2010 Arizona Fall League Championship.

After batting .399 in spring training, the Nationals optioned Harper to the Hagerstown Suns of the Class-A South Atlantic League to begin his minor league career.^[20] In April 2011, after a slow start in the minor leagues, Harper visited optometrist Dr. Keith Smithson who reportedly told him, "I don't know how you ever hit before. You have some of the worst eyes I've ever seen." In his first 20 games after receiving contact lenses, Harper hit .480, collecting 7 home runs, 40 doubles and 23 RBI.^[21]

Harper was selected to represent the United States in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game during the 2011 All Star Game weekend. He was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators on July 4. Harper went 4 for 4 in his AA debut with two singles, a double, triple and a walk.^[22]

On August 18, 2011, Harper injured his hamstring while running from first to third base on an extra base hit. The injury was severe enough that he had to be carried off the field by his coaches. Harper was placed on the 7-day disabled list, and it was reported that the injury had ended Harper's season.^[23]

During 2012 spring training, Harper was optioned to AAA Syracuse, where he started the season, playing centerfield.^[24] After a strong start, Harper was called up to the Nationals on April 27, 2012, as Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the DL. He made his MLB debut with the Nationals the next day against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Harper grounded out to the pitcher (Chad Billingsley) in his first career Major League at bat. He recorded his first Major League hit with a double in his third at-bat against Billingsley and got his first RBI on a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth against Javy Guerra.^[25]

On May 6, 2012 Harper was hit in the lower back by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels in the first inning on the first pitch of the at bat. ^[26] Harper would steal home plate that same inning, but the Nationals lost the game 9-3. Hamels subsequently admitted to hitting him intentionally and was suspended by MLB for 5 games.

On May 14, 2012, Harper hit his first Major League home run, a solo blast off of San Diego Padres pitcher Tim Stauffer.^[27] He was the youngest player to homer in the major leagues since Adrian Beltre in 1998.^[28]

Career accomplishments[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

Personal life[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

Harper's older brother, Bryan, was a left-handed pitcher for College of Southern Nevada with Bryce. Bryan now plays for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, back to back winners of the 2010 and 2011 College World Series. Bryan was also selected in the 2010 MLB Draft, by the Chicago Cubs.^[29][30] He did not sign and then was drafted in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals.

Harper was featured in an episode of ESPN E:60^[31] and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in May 2009.^[32] Harper also just recieved a sponsorship deal with a nutritional supplement company focusing on active lifestyles, MusclePharm. ^[33]

Read more: MusclePharm Signs Pro Baseball Rookie Phenom Bryce Harper As Sponsored Athlete - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_20681350#ixzz1wM2Zge4h Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

Bryce Harper is also a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[34]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bryce Harper

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Bryce Harper's College Statistics

Brandon McCarthy
Oakland Athletics – No. 32
Starting pitcher
Born: (1983-07-07) July 7, 1983 (age 28) Glendale, California
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 22, 2005 for the Chicago White Sox
Career statistics (through 2011 Season)
Win-Loss	29-33
Earned run average	4.17
Strikeouts	374
Teams
Chicago White Sox (2005–2006) Texas Rangers (2007–2009) Oakland Athletics (2011–present)

McCarthy pitching for the Texas Rangers in 2007.

Brandon Patrick McCarthy (born July 7, 1983, in Glendale, California) is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.

Early life[link]

He graduated from Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2001.

McCarthy was playing baseball for Lamar Community College in Colorado when he was drafted in the 17th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

Minor leagues[link]

In the minor leagues in 2003, McCarthy posted impressive stats and showed excellent control, pitching 101 innings, striking out 125 batters, and walking only 15 batters. In 2004, he led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts, with 202.^[1]

Major leagues[link]

Chicago White Sox[link]

McCarthy made his major league debut on May 22, 2005, as a spot starter for the Chicago White Sox in a game against the Chicago Cubs. McCarthy would make several additional spot starts that year before earning a permanent spot on the team as a reliever in 2006.

Texas Rangers[link]

On December 23, 2006, McCarthy was traded along with David Paisano to the Texas Rangers for John Danks, Nick Masset and Jake Rasner.^[2] McCarthy endured an injury-plagued season in his first year for the Rangers (and his first full year as a starter) in 2007, most notably dealing with a stress fracture in his right shoulderblade that kept him sidelined for nearly 2 months. His luck did not improve in 2008, as he developed inflammation in his right elbow during spring training and consequently missed most of the 2008 season.

Oakland Athletics[link]

He signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics on December 14, 2010.

As part of the starting pitcher rotation for the Oakland Athletics in 2011, McCarthy strengthened his mechanics and had his most productive major league season, pitching twenty-five games, five complete.^[3] McCarthy adapted his pitch repertoire to emphasize two-seam fastballs and cutters, which helped increase his ground-ball percentage and lower his home-run rate while developing control and limiting walks allowed.^[4] He finished the year with the lowest FIP among American League starters.^[5]

For the 2012 season, McCarthy currently leads the A's in strikeouts.^[6]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brandon McCarthy

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• McCarthy in the minors