It's been seven years since two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper suited up for the Washington Nationals. But some fans in Washington clearly still harbor some resentment towards the now-Philadelphia Phillies slugger, who heard boos rained down on him throughout the Phillies' 7-3 victory over the Nationals in 10 innings at Nationals Park on Opening Day.
But Harper, who produced the first run of the day for the Phillies with a solo homer in the seventh inning, took the boos in stride after the game.
"I love coming in here and playing in this stadium," Harper told The Associated Press. "I’ve got a lot of great memories in here, as well. Everywhere I go, it’s exactly like this. Some places are louder than others. It’s all the same."
Harper, one of the most ballyhooed prospects in baseball history, was 17 years old when the Nationals selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 MLB draft. Two years later at the age of 19, Harper made his MLB debut for Washington. Over the course of his seven seasons with the club, Harper developed into one of the game's brightest stars, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award, being named the NL MVP in '15 and making six All-Star teams during that span.
Harper, at the time ticketed for free agency back in the winter of '19, had said he wanted to remain with the Nationals. But after signing a then-record $330 million contract with Philadelphia, he later admitted that the Nationals' contract offer "hurt."
Evidently, some Nationals fans are still hurt that Harper left the franchise for a division rival. And they're not shy about letting the Phillies star know it. But Harper isn't sweating the fans' boos. He went on to cite the strong relationships he still has with some of the employees at the Nationals' ballpark and in the clubhouse.
"All the workers, really—I love my relationship with them a lot," Harper continued. "Going through the tunnel and talking to everybody, they still tell me they love me. All the workers in (the visitor’s clubhouse), as well. They know who I am. They know exactly what type of person I am and player and all that kind of stuff. Fans—it’s part of it."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryce Harper Reacts to Hearing Boos From Nationals Fans in Phillies' Opening Day Win.
