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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
bryce harper daily The routine is no different than many Philadelphia sports fans. Driving into the city from his home outside Haddonfield, New Jersey, he listens to local sports talk radio. He often enters his park with the Citizens' Bank wearing the attire of his Philadelphia sports team. Then Harper changes into his uniform, rolls up his sleeves and gets to work.
Harper is excited to hear the passion fans in the sports-crazy city have for their team. Especially because it's a passion he shares with his fans.
“The people who call the radio, they love the radio. They love us. I love listening to the radio. I think it's interesting. All the other sports in town. I enjoy hearing about the Eagles, the Sixers and the Flyers,” Harper said.
“We all know what it's like to play here, so we all root for each other and understand each other. When the city rallies around the team and all the players, it's great to see It's so much fun.”
From the moment Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract before the 2019 season, he became beloved by a notoriously rough-and-tumble fan base. He famously rejected his agent Scott Boras' insistence to include an opt-out, wanting to show loyalty to where he intended to spend the rest of his career. He also turned down the opportunity to wear No. 34, the Washington Nationals' jersey number, with Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay declaring, “It should be the last time you wear it.” When he bemoaned the price of Citizens' Bank His Park's beer, Philadelphia knew it had found its own beer.
“Bryce is really good at saying the right things and I don't think it's BS,” longtime Phillies first baseman and current anchor John Crook recently told ESPN. “He means it. From day one, when he signed that contract and didn't ask to opt out, it meant a lot to the fans.”
Five years later, Harper is even more beloved in Philadelphia. Certainly, it helped that he won MVP in 2021. He led the Phillies to the World Series the following year and returned to the National League Championship Series in October. But it's not just awards and playoff wins that have strengthened his ties to the city.
“I'm from Southern California and had no idea what the East Coast was like, let alone Philadelphia,” Chase Utley, another Philadelphia great, said by phone. “It takes a certain type of personality to succeed and thrive in Philadelphia sports, and Bryce had that right away.
“He brings people into his game with his talent and grit, and that resonates with the fan base.”
A yearning for the blue-collar toughness of an East Coast city might be a stretch for a superstar who grew up 4,500 miles away in the bright lights of Las Vegas. But Harper has always been as South Philadelphia as his Vegas strip.
“I always thought this city was for him and it was just a matter of time before he got here,” said Trea Turner, Harper's teammate in D.C.
harper wants you There's at least one thing you need to know about Las Vegas. It is different. all About the strip. There are neighborhoods and locals and working class people everywhere, but not necessarily where tourists go. It's more blue collar than many people think.
“When you build a casino, you have to be a hard-working town,” he said.
Harper's father, Ron, was an ironworker who did construction work locally for 30 years. His entire extended family also worked in “blue collar jobs.” Harper's work ethic was honed early in his life, even laying rebar with his father.
He took that mindset to the field and quickly outperformed his ballplayers, playing against players four or five years older on Las Vegas' best travel teams. At age 16, he decided to drop out of high school, get his GED and enroll at the University of Southern Nevada. He continued his dominance there, winning college baseball's Golden Spikes Award in 2010. This honor was given to a junior college player only twice in nearly half a century.
Thanks to his early morning runs, gym workouts, and dominance on the field, Harper was selected No. 1 overall by the University of Washington that same year.
“Bryce was the guy. Everybody had their eyes on Bryce,” said Mike Bryant, who coached Harper, Joey Gallo and his own future Major League MVP son Chris in youth leagues in Las Vegas. “Just having Bryce made everyone else take notice. He was the guy, there's no doubt about that.”
That attitude and expectation also helped prepare him for the kind of scrutiny superstars face in Philadelphia.
“He's been on our radar since he was 14 years old,” former Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. “That has a lot to do with it. He's felt pressure all his life. He should be able to handle it when he gets here. It doesn't bother him.”
It was never Harper's. That work ethic has never been more evident than in the months of rehabilitation following Tommy John surgery in November 2022. The original schedule had him rejoining the team around the 2023 All-Star break, but he had other plans. Harper returned to action on May 2, more than two months earlier than planned, moved to a new position, and ultimately helped the Phillies reach the playoffs.
“I used to call him a superhero,” Phillies infielder Bryson Stott said. “His body heals faster than anyone I've ever seen.”
Harper's move to first base was initially intended to protect his still-soft arm, but initial success led the Phillies to make the move to first base permanent this offseason. Harper had enough influence that he could have vetoed the plan and pushed for him to stay as designated hitter or move back to the outfield.
“The first thing infield coach Bobby Dickerson said to me was, 'If you're all in, we're going to do this, but if you're not, we're not going to do it,'” Harper recalled. . “From that point on, I told him, 'You can do whatever you want.'
“I love being coached.”
The plan required Harper to spend many hours this spring learning the nuances of his new position, often requiring him to spend extra time before batting practice taking ground balls. Teammates and coaches watched as the former MVP took on new challenges like a rookie trying to make the roster.
“We spent at least 20 minutes a day in our own half field. We did all the skill parts of playing the position,” Dickerson said. “Then I would do little verbal tests with him every few days, like, 'Runner on first base, double down the right field line. Where do you go?'” I would give him a good shot. ”
“It's actually been an amazing change to watch. He's spent his entire career in the outfield and in various jobs in the major leagues.” [you] Learn to play as a first baseman. ”
The results so far speak for themselves. His range to the right has improved over last year, and he ranks near the top of the league in above-average outs (2nd) and defensive runs allowed (2nd), according to ESPN Stats & Information. Through Wednesday, Harpers had 251 chances at first base without an error.
“It's still a transition period,” Harper said. “I'm still learning where I'm supposed to be on the field. You can't just watch the paint dry when a guy hits the ball down the line or into a gap. I sit there sometimes and watch Bryson make great plays.''And I'm like, “Oh my god, I have to play first base.''
Stott, also a Las Vegas native, sees a connection between Harper's behind-the-scenes work and his roots. Sure, there are bright lights and big salaries, but nothing is accomplished without hard work.
“There will be casino executives,” Stott said. “They're working, but they're not building casinos on the street. You don't see them. You don't see them working.” [Bryce] Please enter either one. ”
no matter how The reality for every professional athlete in Philadelphia is that no matter how hard you try or how well you perform, you're going to be booed.
Harper already heard it from fans on his first opening day as a Philadelphia player in 2019 — and he wouldn't have it any other way.
“The first day I hit a punchout against Julio Teheran, I went back to the dugout and they booed me in my first at-bat,” Harper said. “I completely understand and understand.
“When you do something wrong, they'll let you know. As players in this clubhouse, we like that and from a personal standpoint, I think it's I love it.”
Harper made it clear he wasn't going to settle for a few boos and hit home runs in each of his next three games. Just as importantly, he answered tough questions from reporters after the game, starting with his 0-for-3 debut.
That culture of responsibility spread through a clubhouse filled with players who came to join Harper in Philadelphia, now a destination for big-time free agents. First was Zack Wheeler, who was signed to a $118 million contract before the 2020 season, followed by sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, who were signed for next season. Finally, Turner was reunited with Harper in a $300 million contract before the offseason.
Together, they formed a beloved core team in the city like few Philadelphia teams ever had in any sport.
“When they play the game, [the fans] I'd like to hear that,” Bois said, “'Hey, it stinks tonight.' Schwarber does that. So does Turner. Bryce had that kind of influence.”
Some people around the Phillies credit the bond Harper has built with him for bringing out the kinder side of the fan base. Alec Bohm was caught saying “I hate this place” after making an error, and instead of booming and running him out of town, fans rallied around the young third baseman. Turner received a similar reaction in his first season with the Phillies, when he stepped up to the plate in August during a prolonged slump and was greeted with a standing ovation instead of boos.
“He did a good job of showing the other side of Philadelphia,” Turner said. “The best thing about the last five years is knowing where it started and where we are now. The whole organization, the fans and everything else is in a much better position.”
Schwarber agreed. “He accepts their way of thinking,” he said. “And he's been very public about that. He wants to win championships and he wants to win for the city. That's what you want in a leader. That's why he comes here every day and plays. It makes it exciting.”
Of course, Harper knows that Philadelphia is still Philadelphia, and unless one of the seasons ends with a World Series trophy, there could always be boos. Although they came close, the championship eluded them. When we lost, it was replaced by frustration. Contracted through 2031, Harper still has nearly a decade left to deliver his ultimate prize to his city.
If you do it for too long, it becomes more and more of a goal, right? Harper said. “We have great players. All we want is to win, we don't care about anything else.
“Philadelphia is a very results-oriented city.”
