Why I'll always love Bryce Harper

He gave me a very special gift.

Ask the average person in Washington, DC (or northern Virginia where I live) what they think of Bryce Harper and they will probably tell you that they hate him. That he is a traitor. That he chased the money.

I mean, Harper did leave the Washington Nationals — the team that had drafted him and brought him to the major leagues — as a free agent in 2019. And to make it worse, he signed with a division rival: The Philadelphia Phillies.

So, I get it! It was a tough blow. Harper is a generational talent. Of course, the sting of losing him hurt less when the Nationals won the World Series in 2019.

But, Harper’s departure was the first in a series of gut punches that saw stars like Max Scherzer, Juan Soto and Trea Turner (also now a Phillie) leave the Nationals.

Despite all of that water under the bridge, I still root for Harper. And I was reminded why last night — as I was flipping between the first night of the Republican National Convention and the Home Run Derby.

Let me first say: I am not a big fan of the Derby. I know they made some rule changes this year to make it move a little faster but for me it’s all a little repetitive. I would rather watch a competition where the fastest guys in baseball are timed running the bases. Or a competition where outfielders try to catch home run balls at the wall. Or even a bunting competition.

But, watching the Derby in person is a whole different thing. Which brings me to my Harper story.

In 2018, the All Star game was at Nationals Park. I was working for CNN at the time and got three tickets to sit in the network’s box for the Home Run Derby. I brought my two boys, who were 9 and 6 at the time.

They worshipped Harper. (Every kid in Washington did back then!) So they were beyond excited just to see him out on the field. That he was wearing an American flag bandana and had a cool patriotic bat just made him all the cooler in their eyes. (And mine!)

It would have been ok if Harper had hit a few dingers and then got knocked out in one of the early rounds. But, because Harper, like all great athletes, is able to rise to the occasion, he made it to the finals. Where he faced off against Kyle Schwarber, who was then on the Cubs. (Schwarber would become a cult hero in Washington when he joined the Nats for the 2021 season. Now, of course, he is a Phillie — like everyone else.)

In the final round, Schwarber went first. And hit 18 home runs. Which, I figured, was too many for Harper to match. And with 80 seconds left in his round, Harper looked like he was going to prove me right. He had 9 home runs and seemed destined to come in second.

Then something amazing happened. Harper just started hitting EVERY ball out. Here’s how the Washington Post described it:

Swinging a bat emblazoned with the American flag and with his father, Ron, pitching to him, Harper delivered the resounding performance the 43,698 people in attendance wanted. He mashed his way through two rounds before hitting nine home runs on 10 swings in a 90-second span to tie Kyle Schwarber in regulation in the final, then passed him with a blast to straightaway center field during bonus time to claim his first career Home Run Derby title, 19-18.

“It’s unbelievable,” Harper said. “Just having the crowd out there and really feeding off them [helped]. We have some of the best fans in all of baseball, and to be able to do that with my family out there, that’s an incredible moment, not only for me but for the organization and the Nationals fans.”

Here’s Harper’s full final round. It’s well worth watching.

It was unbelievable. Electric. My boys (and I) were going NUTS. It was just a moment of pure bliss that I will remember for the rest of my life. And that I think my boys will too.

I am forever grateful to Bryce for that memory. I can never hate a guy who did that for me and my boys. Man I love baseball.