Local stars Bryant, Harper team up in All-Star Game

Dreams never come cheap.

Kris Bryant would sit in the upper deck at Petco Park during his time as a baseball player for the University of San Diego and imagine playing on the field below.

Just never this way.

Just never under this bright of a glare.

“I never thought about it in terms of being an All-Star,” Bryant said. “But it’s important to have that drive and desire to perform with those types of players. I don’t know where it comes from, but I have such determination to be the best player I can be. It’s just a trait I have.”

The Chicago Cubs will become part of All-Star history Tuesday night when their entire infield, including the 24-year-old Bryant at third base, starts for the National League.

It’s just the second time for such an occurrence at the Midsummer Classic, the 87th edition becoming official when Johnny Cueto of the Giants throws the game’s first pitch at the home of the Padres.

On a smaller scale, Las Vegas will be represented in a manner few cities can boast.

Bryant will hit third, preceded by 23-year-old outfielder Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals, two of the game’s youngest and brightest stars who have put Southern Nevada on the sort of global map few can match.

When told Monday he now ranks among the most popular athletes in China, Bryant responded: “I’ve never been there, but that’s an honor.”

There won’t be, for the foreseeable future, a day or week or month or season when Bryant and Harper don’t stand in a batter’s box lined with chalk and the massive expectations of others, a truth only heightened this year as one (Bryant) is the reigning National League Rookie of the Year out of Bonanza High and the other (Harper) its Most Valuable Player from Las Vegas High and College of Southern Nevada.

Mike Trout knows this reality well. He was the American League MVP in 2014 and could possibly secure a third straight All-Star Game MVP trophy Tuesday. The Angels outfielder is the only player in history to win the award in consecutive seasons, and any more might force him to build a bigger garage when you consider the honor also comes with a new car.

He has also watched from afar what Bryant (NL-leading 25 home runs, 65 RBIs) and Harper (19 home runs, 52 RBIs) have produced thus far during baseball’s 2016 journey.

“Those two guys are really impressive,” Trout said. “It’s tough at a young age to go out there and put up those kinds of numbers. A couple of the balls Kris hit this year have been absolute bombs. And, obviously, Bryce was the MVP last year.

“Nowadays, pitchers have so many more advantages over you. They can see off video where the holes are in your swing, along with all the charts and shifting on defense. It’s almost impossible to hit the ball up the middle any more with the shift. Each and every series, teams know your swing better and better, which makes what (Bryant and Harper) are doing really special.”

Harper actually began the season on a bigger tear than how he ended his MVP campaign, at one point in April homering six times in eight games. But as summer arrived, struggles found his swing. He’s hitting .256 and, amazingly, has had more issues when ahead in the count.

Last year, he hit .542 in such situations.

This season, he’s under .200.

The Major League average is over .360.

“I feel great,” Harper said. “I’ve been saying that for two months. I haven’t really changed anything. Stick with my approach, stick with the plan, maintain what I’m doing. But my expectations of myself are always going to be much higher than anyone else might have. I’ll take 19 homers and 52 RBI at the break any day of the week.

“(Bryant) plays in a great lineup in Chicago, on a great team that’s really good for baseball. He is just an unbelievable talent. I’m so happy for Kris.”

Each arrive at the break on teams in first place in their respective divisions, meaning each own reasonable goals of reaching the playoffs, meaning each will treat Tuesday’s game (the winning side earns home field advantage in the World Series for its league) with more than the casual approach of an exhibition.

“Two very good players who own so much power for being so young,” Tigers star Miguel Cabrera said of Bryant and Harper. “Special talents. Hopefully, they each strike out twice and we win.”

Just a guess: That wasn’t part of Bryant’s dream when sitting in the upper deck at Petco Park.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on “Seat and Ed” on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney