Three Years Ago Today, The Phillies Introduced Bryce Harper
In this issue, we throw it back to March 2, 2019, when the Phillies officially introduced newly signed free agent Bryce Harper and ushered in a new era of Philly baseball.
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
. . . Over his first three seasons in Philadelphia (including the 60-game season in 2020), Bryce Harper has slashed .281/.402/.556 with a .958 OPS, 83 home runs, 231 RBIs, and 240 runs scored. In 2021, his third year with the Phillies, he led all of baseball in slugging (.615), OPS (1.044), and doubles (42) en route to winning his second MVP award. With the honor, Harper secured the eighth MVP award in Phillies history, and the team’s first MVP since Jimmy Rollins in 2007.
. . . Since signing with the Phillies prior to the 2019 season, Harper ranks second in MLB in on-base percentage (.402) and walks (248), fourth in slugging (.556), sixth in home runs (83), and seventh in FanGraphs WAR (12.8). He also ranks near the top of the Phillies’ all-time hitting leaderboards in the following rate statistics:
On-base percentage (sixth, .402)
Slugging percentage (first, .558)
OPS (first, .958)
Adjusted OPS+ (sixth, 151)
At-bats per home run (third, 15.1)
. . . Harper initially wore No. 34 with the Washington Nationals, but when he signed with the Phillies he was asked to switch to No. 3. This was because the Phillies already had plans to retire No. 34 in honor of former ace Roy Halladay, who pitched in Philadelphia from 2010-2013 and was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2019. Philadelphia officially retired the late Halladay’s No. 34 on Aug. 8, 2021.
Leading Off
On This Day In 2019, The Phillies Welcomed Bryce Harper
By Jason Love
The Philadelphia Phillies introduced right fielder Bryce Harper on March 2, 2019, at the team’s Spring Training facility in Clearwater, Fla. At the initial press conference, Harper shook hands with Phillies owner John Middleton and general manager Matt Klentak. The sun was shining brightly as Harper took a seat next to his agent Scott Boras on top of the dugout at Spectrum Field. Philly is a football-first city; however, when the Phillies announced the signing of Harper to a 13-year deal for $330 million, excitement about baseball returned to the City of Brotherly Love. In his new Phillies jersey, Harper talked about how he could not “wait to be a part of the Phillies for a long period of time.”
In the following days, Philadelphia sports talk radio actually talked baseball, fans flocked to the New Era team store at Citizens Bank Park to buy Harper jerseys, and Phillies ownership was praised for spending the money to sign a marquee player. Since the peak years of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, and Jimmy Rollins from 2007-2011, the Phillies have been in a bit of a slump. Harper immediately raised expectations.
Fans expect a lot from their star players. Philadelphia really expects a lot from its star players. Some athletes such as Ben Simmons and Carson Wentz found it difficult to play under such scrutiny. Since joining the Phillies, Harper has done all of the right things to connect with the Philadelphia fans. Not only has he played at an MVP-caliber level, but he makes himself available to the media, has fun with the Phillie Phanatic, and brings an exciting level of play to Citizens Bank Park every game.
With 162 games, Major League Baseball gives fans more opportunities to see their favorite players throughout a season than any other professional sport. With this long grind of a season, it is difficult for any baseball player to keep up a high level of passion every single game. Despite a few nagging injuries in his first three seasons, Harper has made baseball relevant again in the Greater Delaware Valley.
As winter gives way to spring, Phillies fans are hopeful that Harper spoke the truth back on March 2, 2019, when he said, “I want to be on Broad Street … and have a trophy over my head, because that’s what it’s all about.”
Jason Love is the author of Slices of Americana: A Road Trip Through American Baseball History published by Sunbury Press. He can be found on Twitter @jason_love1.