Chosen One?

This week's cover of Sports Illustrated featured 16 year old Bryce Harper, a top baseball prospect who can hit home runs over 500 feet, and throw a 97 mph fastball. Harper is now consider the most exciting prodigy, and will have a lot of major league eyes watching him.

Be careful what you wish for.

While it can not be ignored that the numbers this "prodigy" has put up is remarkable, this cover has put a lot of pressure and eyes on Harper, who still has years before he is even eligible to try to play professional baseball.

To put this much pressure and establish that this 16 year old is going to have a career in baseball or bust could be putting too much on him. At 16 Yours truly still thought he was going to have a career as a game show host. Of course Hard Knox Sports did not have the high heat, and could not hit the long ball.

There is no guarantee that this fame, and belief will either make or break their chance at a professional career. While the spotlight and pressure of the Sports Illustrated cover as a teen did not seem to stop players like Lebron James from having a career, there is always a chance of becoming the next Todd Marinovich.

Of course there has to be concern in his health putting an end to this prodigy talk quick. It is always said that in baseball the next pitch or swing can be the last a player ever sees. Having the possibility of the Sports Illustrated Cover jinx on top of that may make this tougher.

This is not saying that Harper will be a bust, and not fulfill his prodigy talk. But it does not make sense to just declare a guy a prodigy when they have a test in Algebra or Biology class second period. Let him get time in the professional level before deciding that he is going to be the next superstar.