Two separate ESPN.com stories Thursday provided a perfect way to view the way young modern baseball players view the game vs. the way it has traditionally been viewed by its hallowed stars.

First, this from Hall of Fame reliever Goose Gossage, who said the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista is a "disgrace to the game." Gossage added: "He's embarrassing to all the Latin players, whoever played before him. Throwing his bat and acting like a fool, like all those guys in Toronto. [Yoenis] Cespedes, same thing."

And this, from reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper, who expressed a much different sentiment, saying baseball is a "tired sport, because you can't express yourself. You can't do what people in other sports do. I'm not saying baseball is, you know, boring or anything like that, but it's the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair."

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.