Las Vegas native Bryce Harper makes MLB All-Star Game debut - FOX5 Vegas - KVVU

Las Vegas native Bryce Harper makes MLB All-Star Game debut

During the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, Bryce Harper was a name you heard a lot.

While the country focused on the Washington Nationals' rookie, many in the Valley remember Harper from before he was an All-Star.

"He was going to high school the same time I was. I almost played against him but I wasn't that good," said Jerad Faulendorg.

Many fans in southern Nevada were glad the local star made it.

"I know he was between the fan votes - he was lucky to be in there," said baseball fan Sergio Oheda.

Harper is the youngest position player to ever appear in an All-Star game.

One of the reasons that Harper was able to play in the All-Star game at just 19 years of age is because when he was a sophomore at Las Vegas High School, he made the decision to get his General Educational Development (GED) and started playing ball for the College of Southern Nevada.

Rob Miech wrote The Last Natural, a book about Harper's decision to get to the big leagues, which took him to Tuesday night's game.

"It was such a bold maneuver. There are reasons he did what he did to be eligible for the draft a year before his high school class graduates. There might be a lot of outside expectations, but nobody on this earth can expect more from him than what he expects from himself," Miech told FOX5.

Few are as proud of Harper's All-Star debut as his former coach, Tim Chambers.

"Even though he was one of the last guys picked or the last guy picked, he's probably the hottest name in baseball right now," said Chambers, who currently coaches at UNLV.

Harper helped Chambers and the rest of his Coyotes team get to the Junior College World Series in 2010.

During Tuesday's game, his former coach believes Harper just did what he does best - play ball.

"I think he's just enjoying the opportunity, enjoys his teammates and he loves to play baseball. So he's in the spot that he's envisioned himself being in his whole life," Chambers told FOX5.

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