Eye on Bryce Harper: Topps unveils Las Vegas baseball phenom’s rookie card

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bryce Harper

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 | 7:14 p.m.

Bryce Harper has been smashing 500-foot-plus home runs and capturing national headlines since his not-long-ago playing days at Las Vegas High. But the media spotlight has been focused on Harper like a laser since the 19-year-old phenom was called up to the Majors on Saturday by the Washington Nationals.

Here’s a sampling of what is being said about Harper:

• In a post Wednesday on the Washington Post’s D.C. Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg offered a clip of Bryce Harper’s throw from left field to home in the Washington Nationals’ home game Tuesday. “I watch a lot of sports while running on a treadmill at the gym,” Steinberg wrote. “Tuesday night was the first time that I have ever loudly yelped while watching sports.

• It’s out: Topps unveiled Harper’s rookie card this week. See it here.

• The Post produced arguably the most thorough coverage of Harper’s first home game. See it here.

• Comparisons between Harper and Mickey Mantle have been coming thick and fast since Harper made his major league debut. Not so fast, says cbssports.com’s Jon Heyman in his Baseball Insider commentary.