Skip to content

MLB stars endorse Harper's fun mantra

Brace Hemmelgarn / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Bold comments from Hall of Famer Goose Gossage and Bryce Harper have rekindled the old school versus new school debate in Major League Baseball, and now other big leaguers are sharing their views.

Here's what some of the superstars in the game had to say about showing emotion in big spots, as compiled by MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Gregor Chisholm:

Jose Fernandez

"To me, that's the way I learned how to play baseball. I think it's great for the game, honestly."

Chris Archer

"I think people do get a little too sensitive about how we show emotion and stuff. There's no problem. If you do something that genuinely gets you excited, maybe a late-inning home run or a strikeout, it's only human nature to be excited."

Yoenis Cespedes

"Whenever a pitcher strikes someone out, they get to celebrate too, and have their moment and revel in it. Why can't the batters get a chance to enjoy their success, too?"

Carlos Correa

"I just think that the priority should be on the team and not what we can do on the field. I have fun playing baseball the way I play it; I'm not going to change the way I play. If (Harper) has fun playing the way he plays like that, I'm fine with it."

Kris Bryant

"I think the game's changing a bit. You can see it in the cleats - people are wearing neon in their cleats. Ten years ago, that would never happen. Guys have their own ways of playing the game and there are guys who will go about it very calm and collected, and guys who will show it off a little bit. There's not one way to do things in this game, and that's what makes it so cool."

Jose Bautista

"You're supposed to react. You're supposed to be emotional. That's how you stay in tune with being a human. If not, you turn into something else. You do it enough, you'll become numb to all the different sensations you're supposed to be feeling. All your reactions when stuff happens around you, that's our stimulus. You're supposed to respond. That's human nature."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox