Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Karl Rasmussen

Orlando Arcia Says He Never Meant for Bryce Harper to Hear Comments That Inspired Staredown

After his comments inspired a dominant performance from Bryce Harper, Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia told reporters after Game 3 that he never intended for the Phillies slugger to hear his remarks.

After Game 2, a report from Fox Sports’s Jake Mintz indicated that Arcia was mocking Harper over his costly baserunning mistake that ended the game. 

“Atta boy, Harper,” the shortstop reportedly said in Atlanta’s clubhouse after the win on Monday.

Arcia addressed the incident after Wednesday’s loss, via Spencer McKercher of NBC Sports Philly. The shortstop didn’t deny making the comment, but maintained that he never meant for it to reach Harper, and questioned why something said in the locker room got out. 

“He wasn’t supposed to hear it,” Arcia said of Harper through his interpreter. “That is why we were talking in the clubhouse."

“I thought whatever is said in the clubhouse, stays in the clubhouse,” Arcia said, per McKercher.

Harper hit two home runs in the game, and each time he rounded second base, he made a point of staring down Arcia

In his own post-game remarks on Wednesday, Harper confirmed that he’d been made aware of the comments, and also admitted that he was, in fact, staring at Arcia during his home run trots.

“Yeah, I stared right at him,” said Harper, who added that it was his Phillies teammates who informed him about the quotes from Arcia.

“They just kind of told me, and they looked at me, and they were like, what are you going to do?” said Harper of his teammates, via Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philly. 

The 30-year-old chose to respond on the field, launching two home runs and driving in four runs during Wednesday night’s win, as Philadelphia claimed a 2-1 series lead. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.