HOT TICKET
$330 million man Bryce Harper makes Grapefruit League debut in Phillies’ uniform against Jays,
CLEARWATER, FLA.— Bryce Harper looked at himself in the mirror and liked what he saw.
“Everybody said the pinstripes are slimming.”
Not the signature Yankee pinstripes, his dad’s favourite team, where many thought the whopper free agent would land — except there was surprising little interest from Gotham, turned out. Red and white pantaloons, instead. A week since he signed with Philadelphia for $330 million (all dollars U.S.) in a13-year-deal, following a 123-day offseason circus — dubbed Harper’s Bazaar by his agent, Scott Boras. Finally, on a brilliant Saturday afternoon, Harper was back on the field, back in a lineup, at DH making his spring training debut in Philly colours against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fans had begun lining up at Spectrum Field five hours before the anthems. Scalper tickets were going for $200 a pop. For a Grapefruit League game.
How big a deal was this? The mayor of Philadelphia flew in for the event. Phillies owner John Middleton, the impetus behind the pursuit of Harper, was spotted picking up baseballs around the field after batting practice. Eagles hall of fame safety Brian Dawkins was brought in to deliver a pep talk cum salute in the clubhouse, grabbing a microphone before the game and screeching: “Yaaaaah baby!’’
The sold-out venue jumped to its feet when Harper strolled to the plate.
A teammate joked: “Weren’t these the same fans booing you a couple of years ago?”
Ah, but he’d been a career Washington National then. Now he’s theirs, this sparkler who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school teenager with the headline: “Chosen One.’’
Hype is all he’s ever known. Harper has said in the past he doesn’t care if fans love him or hate him. Just so long as they watch him.
“It was awesome,’’ Harper said afterwards, sincerely but also hitting the right grace notes for a fan base that has purchased 340,000 regular-season tickets over the past week, including 2,000 season tickets. “The ovation they gave me, I’m very humbled, I’m very blessed. I can’t thank them enough for coming and supporting us, even for a spring training game. Shows how great of a fan base Philly is.” This the city that boos Santa Claus. But these fans were even delighted by Harper’s choice for walk-up song — the theme from TV chestnut Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
“I thought it would be fun for spring training,’’ Harper explained. “Probably I’m not going to do it in the season.” Yes, stick a red hose sock in it. “It was just fun to be out there with the guys, be in front of the fan base, get some dirt on my cleats, be in the batter’s box again and compete,” Harper told reporters afterwards. “That’s something I love to do. That’s what it’s all about. Just excited to be playing baseball.”
DIMANNO continued on S5
Although, rather anticlimactic as Harper drew two five-pitch walks from Toronto starter Matt Shoemaker, a cascade of boos for the pitcher second time around. Took a mighty swing-and-a-miss at the first offering he saw, however. That was enough to excite the crowd.
“The heartbeat, the mentality out there,’’ Harper continued, trying to put into words the dramatic impact of these early moments as a Phillie. Because, even in these meaningless Florida encounters, the anticipation is keen. Never too early to make a good first impression.
“I’m at my best when I’m walking,’’ he said, putting a positive spin on the two at-bats, just dipping in a toe. “I was able to see some pitches and take two good swings early in the count, see some splits from Shoe, some sliders as well. Good big-league pitcher to face in my first start.’’
What he’d never seen before was the four-man outfield that Jays skipper Charlie Montoyo deployed, shading third baseman Eric Sogard well into left alongside Teoscar Hernandez. When he got back to the dugout, Harper turned to Phillies legend Larry Bowa — more than a half-century in baseball, now a senior adviser to GM Matt Klentak — and asked: “You ever seen that before Larry? He said, nope.”
Not putting too fine a point on it, but Harper was deeply unamused.
“It was intense,” he observed tersely.
Asked if this configuration might signal how opposing teams will try to blunt his home run prowess, Harper said: “Man, I hope not. If they’re going to start playing ball like that … well, it’s definitely different.’’
Certainly the tactic is unbaseball and ignoble, but entirely within the rules. How else to contend with a six-time all-star, 2015 National League MVP and slugger who’s hit a home run every 17.97 at-bats?
The impact of having Harper in the lineup, however, was otherwise evident when Rhys Hopkins, hitting immediately behind him, belted a monster jack that cleared the thatch roof of the tiki bar beyond left field. Everybody in the lineup is going to see better pitches as moundsmen try to manoeuvre around Harper.
“I hope so,’’ said Harper. “To be able to see (Hopkins) jump at that first pitch. Having Rhys hit behind me, it’s going to be fun. To see him go deep and make it seem like nothing.’’
Strange to see the 26-year-old Harper in Philly threads, gotta say, the outcome of a bidding war that never heated up quite as had been anticipated.
Harper could have reupped with the Nats, where he was beloved, valued as both a player and a person. But, quite naturally, he wanted to explore his free-agent choices. Yet the wooers rapidly dwindled down to a precious few. The market, much like a year ago, had gone suddenly barren, shockingly so.
The San Francisco Giants coveted him, on a 10-year deal. The L.A. Dodgers — close to his Las Vegas home — reportedly offered Harper less than the guaranteed money he’d already turned down in D.C.: $300 million.
In the end, he threw in what will surely be his lifelong lot with unglamorous Philadelphia, albeit now boasting a glittered-up roster with the additions of Andrew McCutchen, catcher J.T. Realmuto, shortstop Jean Segura and reliever David Robertson. Philadelphia is clearly swinging for the World Series fences here and now. Jays fans can only watch that kind of payroll splurging and weep.
Harper’s contract tops the $325-million, 13-year agreement outfielder Giancarlo Stanton reached before the 2014 season with the Miami Marlins. But his new average annual salary of $25.4 million actually ranks 11th in the majors this season and he’s indentured to Philadelphia for freakin’ ever.
In Washington, Harper wore No. 34. But no Phillie has touched that number since hall of famer Roy Halladay died piloting a plane in 2017. He’s opted for No. 3.
That jersey is flying off the shelves, already sold out in the City of Brotherly Love.
A city most closely identified, historically, with Benjamin Franklin, whose image adorns the American $100 bill.
Bryce Harper chased the Benjamins — three million, three hundred thousand of them.