Joey Gallo stopped playing catcher as a kid because Bryce Harper made him cry

If it wasn't for Bryce Harper, perhaps the Texas Rangers might be penciling in Joey Gallo at catcher.

Gallo was Harper's personal catcher when they were teammates in Las Vegas as children - largely because Harper threw so hard that nobody else could - and in a recent interview with ESPN Radio's Jon Sciambi, Gallo told a story of his final day at the position, when he was 8 or 9 years old, which was due to the current Washington Nationals star.

"There was one game we were playing in Vegas, and he (Harper) just struck out to end the inning and I could see he was pretty upset," Gallo said, according to Joey Hayden of SportsDay. "So, I'm like, 'Oh, ok. Here we go.' You know? And I didn't really know what I was doing behind there (playing catcher). I was just able, had the ability to catch a guy throwing hard.

"I think first pitch is wild, next pitch comes in - he's not even looking when he's throwing. His head's snapping the other way. (Throws the next pitch) right in the dirt, and I try to just scoop it - no idea what I'm actually doing trying to block. Hits me in the ribs. Take my helmet off, I'm crying, coming out of the game, coach comes up to me, takes me out to the stands and my mom gets me some ice cream. His mom's sitting there feeling bad. And after that I obviously never caught again.

"My parents were like, 'No more of that. You're playing short. You're playing third.' So, that was it for my catching career, so you can thank Bryce Harper for that one. I remember it like it was yesterday - the exact field, the exact ice cream I had, everything. It's a funny memory."

The incident may have been a blessing in disguise, as the power-hitting Gallo has proven his versatility at multiple positions since arriving in the big leagues. The 24-year-old has appeared at first and third base, as well as in left and center field for the Rangers.

Oddly enough, Harper wound up catching for years before transitioning to the outfield full time following his selection as the No. 1 overall pick by the Nationals in the 2010 draft.