Fans salute Harper in possible farewell
Nats star expected to leave in free agency
WASHINGTON — More than 3½ hours before the start of what many expect to be his last game at Nationals Park as a member of the Nationals, Bryce Harper stood at his locker and let his eyes linger on that familiar white jersey with the curly red “W” on the front and his last name on the back.
Then Harper, who can become a free agent at season’s end, put on his full uniform, right down to the stirrups — the only player ready that far ahead of Washington’s 9-3 victory in its home finale against the Miami Marlins, which was stopped Wednesday after seven innings because of rain.
“I knew I wanted to get here and put the uni on right away, and just cherish that moment, if it’s going to be the last time or not,” the outfielder said beforehand. “I can’t really stand here and say it’s going to be farewell or anything like that, because nobody knows. Nobody knows what this offseason holds.”
The storm arrived, naturally, as Harper stood in the on-deck circle while the last out of the seventh was recorded. That scrapped manager Dave Martinez’s plan to remove Harper from his spot in right field during the top of the ninth, to allow spectators a chance to salute him.
Still, fans did get to greet him with signs, standing ovations and chants of “Let’s go, Harper!” for each at-bat. He went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.
“Just running out there, I wasn’t really thinking about it being my last game or anything like that,” he said afterward. “My heart lies here.”
The Nationals — 81-78 and, like the Marlins, missing the playoffs — close the season with a three-game series at Colorado.
“This is my home,” said Harper, the only NL player with 100 RBIS, 100 runs and 100 walks in 2018. “This is my city.”
The Nationals drafted him No. 1 overall at age 17 in 2010 after he starred at Las Vegas High and the College of Southern Nevada. He was called up to the majors at 19, was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2012, then a unanimous MVP selection in 2015.
A team that lost 100 games in a season twice before Harper came aboard won four NL East titles with the slugger, although never a playoff series.
“It’s like I’m standing here like a 35year old, but I’m only 25. So it’s the first time going through something like this, of course,” Harper said.
Asked what it would take for him to return to Washington, he replied: “I’ve got to know if I’m in” the team’s plans.
“Everybody knows what could possibly happen,” he added. “I could be out of here or I could be back.”