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The Hot Corner: The Dreaded "Can't Miss" Tag

The Hot Corner

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: June 20, 2009

Eric Horchy - Last week's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft may not have received the Oscar Night style pomp and pump in comparison to its flashier brethren from the NFL and NBA, but at least two interesting stories did emerge.

One didn't even involve a player being selected, but both accounts bore a striking resemblance to one another.

The athletes of note were San Diego State University pitcher Stephen Strasburg and Las Vegas high school sophomore Wunderkind Bryce Harper.

Strasburg was drafted No. 1 overall by the Washington Nationals and Harper has reportedly decided to forego his final two years of high school eligibility to be able to enter the 2010 Draft.

Before, during and after conversations regarding either prospect, quotes from scouts, coaches, commentators and anyone in front of a mic or camera were awash with the infamous phrase, "Can't Miss."

It's sports' ultimate Catch-22.

On one hand, it's what every young athlete dreams to be. They're best of the best and desired by everyone everywhere. They have the proverbial world by its proverbial you-know-whats.

But on the flipside, getting the label is like having the seal tightened on your own, personal human pressure cooker. When you're the best, there is no where to go but down. It's a place where consistently being above average is well below acceptability in the eyes of many.

Some flourish amid the orgy of attention (see LeBron James and Joe Mauer) whereas others founder (see Todd Van Poppel and Brian Bosworth…and Ryan Leaf and Darko Milicic and…)

Yes, there are a lot more No. 1 draft picks and highly touted youngsters who lived up to the hype of their pro contracts, but the busts just seem to roll off the tongue with such ease.

Maybe it's because the odds of Hall-of-Fame-style success are stacked so disproportionately against these prodigies that failure rates outstrip success. Maybe it's that the media coverage over-emphasizes busted dreams. Or maybe deep down, we all just prefer the train wreck over the feel-good.

As well as being the ultimate Catch-22, the "Can't Miss" tag can also be the premier litmus test for getting a read on an elite player's mental toughness and overall chutzpah.

Every professional athlete in any sport will face the pressures and stresses brought on by expectations, the fans, the media, personal ego, etc. But the Golden Arms/Legs/Bats/Skates experience it at a whole 'nother level.

As much as they are magnets, they are targets equally so. This shifts things well away from merely playing a game and displaying their lauded talent.

Is it fair? I don't know. But it's certainly the way it is.

In the cases of Strasburg and Harper, the sporting public may get to hear verdicts sooner rather than later. Talks have Strasburg jumping straight to the Bigs after signing his presumably ginormous contract, and for those of you who haven't yet heard of Harper, you will next year if he gets drafted as a 17-year-old. His every move through minor league ball will be microscopically analyzed.

To boom, or to bust: that is the question.

Good luck, fellas.

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com.

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