Former Nationals star outfielder Harper says he’s not…
Bryce Harper had played his entire career with the Washington Nationals, the team who drafted him at No. 1, until this season. During the offseason, Harper decided to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent. Now that the Nationals are making their first franchise appearance in the World Series without him, is there any jealousy amassed? According to Harper, not at all.
“No. I’m so happy for them. You know how hard it is to get into the postseason and win games. For them to be able to put it together this year the way they have, it’s an amazing thing,” Harper told The Athletic.
Harper is now locked into a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies. He hit 35 home runs and had 114 RBIs in his first season with the Phillies, who finished fourth in the NL East.
“I made my decision, and that was my decision,” Harper said. “And it was the final decision that I made. You know, jealousy isn’t good. For me, it’s about having the gratitude to go out and do what I do each day and not having an attitude toward anybody else.”
This is definitely not saying that the Nationals are a better team without Harper, because that is not true. Though not signing him did give them the freedom to gather other talent elsewhere. While Bryce is watching from home, the Nats will face either the Houston Astros or New York Yankees, depending on who wins the ALCS.
He understands things will never be the same between him and Nats fans, but he is happy they have finally made it this far in the postseason. He also doesn’t care if your altering your No. 34 Harper Nationals jerseys.
“It’s over. I wear No. 3 now. And I play for the Philadelphia Phillies – you know what I’m saying?” he told The Athletic. “I appreciate them supporting me before and buying those jerseys. But now they can do whatever they want with them. They’re all theirs.”
It will be interesting to see how the rest of the playoffs pan out and how Harper will feel if the Nationals do end up securing the Championship. Will he still be phanatical for Philly if the Nats get a ring?
Born and raised in the Bay Area. My life has revolved around sports- specifically the A’s, Warriors, Sharks, and 49ers since I was a little girl. This May, I received my BA in Sports Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University… Go Aztecs!
