Bryce Harper is trying to fatten up

[NrM]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/43264/bryce-harper-is-trying-to-fatten-up

After reading this article, what the **** was Josh Hamilton thinking coming into spring training at such a light weight?

Edited January 5, 2014 by Poozy

[Stradling]

Here's a better question. Why was everyone bitching when Trout showed up heavy last year?

[Docwaukee]

Harper is on the Trout diet. 

 

I think Hamilton's juice diet was a ruse.  I think he lost weight because he got lazy and didn't hit the weight room or maybe didn't take as many 'supplements'. 

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

"The younger player, a lot of those guys are still so much younger and underdeveloped that they put on a lot of weight during the offseason, in a good way," Beiting said. "There are definitely guys that lose weight [during the season], particularly in September, you start to kind of back off the workouts a little bit and just eight months of playing baseball starts to catch up." 

 

It makes sense for young guys to gain some weight, but for the older guys like Hamilton, it's smart to lose a little weight when you get older. 

[Docwaukee]

Here's a better question. Why was everyone bitching when Trout showed up heavy last year?

 

I am sure he was advised to put on some weight during the offseason last year.  Me thinks he overdid it just a bit.  He started slow and I felt like it affected his defense some as well. 

[stevestevens]

Here's a better question. Why was everyone bitching when Trout showed up heavy last year?

I would imagine that most of us understand the game of baseball pretty well but do not understand too much about a body competing at the highest performance level.

[Ohtaniland]

[Brent Maguire]

Josh lost weight in the offseason and his defense managed to get worse.

I still thought it was a weird move on his part to come into the season that thin.

[Docwaukee]

Josh lost weight in the offseason and his defense managed to get worse.

I still thought it was a weird move on his part to come into the season that thin.

 

I feel like Hamilton is actually more of a natural LFer so I think he will be better this year. 

[Stradling]

I could be wrong, but I overall thought his D was fine, he just made a few errors. I will take a guy that makes the occasional error over the guy that makes few "errors" but constantly takes bad routes to the ball, or constantly overthrows the cut off. I know I look at the positive side of things, but am I wrong here?

[NrM]

"The younger player, a lot of those guys are still so much younger and underdeveloped that they put on a lot of weight during the offseason, in a good way," Beiting said. "There are definitely guys that lose weight [during the season], particularly in September, you start to kind of back off the workouts a little bit and just eight months of playing baseball starts to catch up.

It makes sense for young guys to gain some weight, but for the older guys like Hamilton, it's smart to lose a little weight when you get older.

I just don't understand his line of thinking. He was a consistently solid player for his entire career, so he thought completely changing his off season routine made sense? Edited January 5, 2014 by Poozy

[Brent Maguire]

I could be wrong, but I overall thought his D was fine, he just made a few errors. I will take a guy that makes the occasional error over the guy that makes few "errors" but constantly takes bad routes to the ball, or constantly overthrows the cut off. I know I look at the positive side of things, but am I wrong here?

Hamilton's defense was actually quite poor last year. He was one of the worst defensive right fielders in baseball.

I do think keeping him in left will help a bit though. He definitely isn't as bad a defender as he showed last year.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

I just don't understand his line of thinking. He was a consistently solid player for his entire career, so he thought completely changing his off season routine made sense?

He was coming off a poor second half of the 2012 season. Before last season, he only averaged 122 games a season over the past four seasons. He lost the weight to help him stay healthy all season. His 20+ lbs weight loss had very little to do with his poor season. 

[NrM]

He was coming off a poor second half of the 2012 season. Before last season, he only averaged 122 games a season over the past four seasons. He lost the weight to help him stay healthy all season. His 20+ lbs weight loss had very little to do with his poor season.

how do you know it had very little to do with his poor season? No one truly knows why Hamilton was so horrible last year.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Poozy

[Docwaukee]

He was coming off a poor second half of the 2012 season. Before last season, he only averaged 122 games a season over the past four seasons. He lost the weight to help him stay healthy all season. His 20+ lbs weight loss had very little to do with his poor season. 

unless it was because he stopped taking roids.

[Ohtaniland]

I've spent a lot of time out in the RF stands past few seasons and I could see a huge difference in the reaction time to the ball between Torii Hunter and Josh Hamilton. It's not even close, Torii was much better.  

[Brent Maguire]

Josh also isn't very good around the wall. He looked super uncomfortable any time the ball reached the warning track.

Torii also spoiled us with his defense so the comparison is a little unfair. Hamilton is more of an average defender while Torii is an all time great defender.

[Docwaukee]

I've spent a lot of time out in the RF stands past few seasons and I could see a huge difference in the reaction time to the ball between Torii Hunter and Josh Hamilton. It's not even close, Torii was much better.  

that's because Torii stands out more. 

[Ohtaniland]

that's because Torii stands out more. 

 

Racist 

[Blarg]

How does a discussion about Bryce Harper pigging out devolve into a discussion about Torii Hunter?

 

Focus people, Harper is trying to emulate his hero, Mike Trout.

[Tyler]

RF walls in every stadium are scared now.

[Second Base]

I had no issue with Hamilton dropping the weight. It was about living a healthier lifestyle. I can attest, the gluten free and paleo lifestyle offers many benefits, among them is increased energy, less cravings for unhealthy food and finding a natural weight that works for the individual.

Josh looked great, considerably more mobile than in years past but clearly his offensive game suffered. Whether the 20 pound weight loss was to gain, no one really knows. But at this point with Josh, I'm so desperate to see him return to greatness that I'd let him do whatever he wanted short of drugs, alcohol and performance enhancers. Let him stuff his face with 32 Costco hotdogs a day if it means he hits .300 with 40 HR's again.

[Thomas]

How does a discussion about Bryce Harper pigging out devolve into a discussion about Torii Hunter?

 

Focus people, Harper is trying to emulate his hero, Mike Trout.

 

Harper is on Hunter's devouring former teams diet. 

[yk9001]

But at this point with Josh, I'm so desperate to see him return to greatness that I'd let him do whatever he wanted short of drugs, alcohol and performance enhancers. Let him stuff his face with 32 Costco hotdogs a day if it means he hits .300 with 40 HR's again.

 

Drugs, Alcohol and performance enhancers were the three things he was doing when excelling at Texas.

[Jimmag]

Loos like Harper has moved on from clown statements to pound statements.