Harper, Bryant do Las Vegas proud in first MLB clash

During the early innings of Monday’s Nationals vs. Cubs game at Wrigley Field, Len Kasper, Chicago’s veteran play-by-play announcer, read some viewer mail as Cubs broadcasters over the years have been known to do.

“They’re here from Cedar Rapids.”

“Welcome to the Kankakee Kiwanis Club.”

“There’s a group here from Moline, enjoying the day at the ballpark.”

If you’ve been watching WGN out of Chicago for any length of time, you probably remember Harry Caray, and before him, fellow Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, and shout-outs such as those.

Kasper read a message from Matt Lawrence of Las Vegas. Lawrence wrote that he had coached Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant on the Southern Nevada Bulldogs when they were youngsters.

The message was relayed via Bryant’s father, Mike.

“I guessing Matt had a pretty good won-loss record with those guys,” said Jim Deshaies, Kasper’s sidekick in the booth, who pitched for the Astros during their striped jersey days.

Harper, 22, was the first player selected in the 2010 major league amateur draft; Bryant, 23, was the second man picked in 2013 after his college career at the University of San Diego.

They’re two of the brightest prospects to come down the pike in years.

Having played with and against one another on the local youth traveling circuits, Monday was the first time they were opponents in a major league game. They wore camouflage caps, and jerseys with camouflage logos, lettering and numerals to honor the fallen troops on Memorial Day.

It still was easy to recognize them, even on the little live streaming video window on a personal computer.

(This is how you have to watch the Cubs these days, even if you have WGN, because free baseball on TV pretty much has gone the way of the doubleheader and the complete game and those Astros striped jerseys.)

His first time up, Harper, who has been on a Roy Hobbs-in-the-movies tear, was called out on strikes. He did not get thrown out of the game this time. He must have thought the pitch was in there, because he didn’t say a word to home-plate umpire Ryan Blakney.

When it was his turn to bat, Bryant swatted one into the first row of the bleachers. It was his sixth home run since being called up.

Harper, who has 16 home runs, went 1-for-3 with a ringing double to right field, a walk (he’s developed a real selective eye) and a fine catch in deep right, robbing Anthony Rizzo of extra bases.

He was fortunate the new bleachers in right field still are under construction. Harper has become a polarizing figure, and Chicago baseball fans who sit in the bleachers on the ice-cold Budweiser side of the ivy have been known to give polarizing outfielders a hard time.

Bryant, who is not a polarizing figure, went 2-for-3 with the aforementioned homer and an infield single. Also unlike Harper, he doesn’t have one of those bushy House of David baseball beards. He only sports some chin stubble and this little tuft of hair that sticks out from under his cap in back, which nobody seems to mind (although my mom asked about it).

The Nationals won 2-1.

Regardless of how Harper and Bryant comport themselves, or which side you fall on, if you live here and call yourself a baseball fan, how cool is it that the local traveling leagues have produced two of the most talked-about young players in the game?

Matt Lawrence shouldn’t have been the only one sticking out his chest.

Before the game, Harper and Bryant praised one another when they were asked the questions you could see coming from left field, which is where Bryant might wind up playing soon.

“Obviously, it’s cool,” Bryant told the baseball writers. “We grew up playing against and with each other, and now it’s a bigger stage. That’s pretty cool to live out our dreams. It’ll be fun today.”

Harper told those same reporters that Bryant was a great talent. “I’m excited for him. I always cheer for guys that are from my area,” said the brash outfielder, whom Sports Illustrated proclaimed “Baseball’s Chosen One” when he still was in high school.

How’s that for pressure? If Harper has developed an arrogant veneer, perhaps that’s how he deals with the incredible expectations. It can’t be easy.

As for the difference in their personalities — if you put baseball jerseys and beards on those chrome silhouettes one sometimes sees on mudflaps, Bryant would be the angel, and Harper the other one — the Cubs’ third baseman said that was good for the game.

Nobody asked about the little live streaming video on a PC, which might be good for the game, too, but not for fans of the game on a limited budget.

“It’s good to have guys who wear their heart on their sleeves, and he’s one of those guys, and it’s awesome to see that,” Bryant said. “You have to believe you’re the best in the field. I do that in a different way, and he does that, and it’s pretty cool to see that.”

Yes, it was pretty cool to see that on Monday if you weren’t out grilling burgers in the backyard.

If they were indeed there from Cedar Rapids, or from the Kankakee, Ill., Kiwanis Club, or from Moline, they probably were pulling for Bryant to get hold of another one when he was nicked with a pitch in the ninth inning.

But to paraphrase what Lou Gehrig’s mom said about Babe Ruth in “Pride of the Yankees,” Bryce Harper is pretty good, too.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow him on Twitter: @ronkantowski.