The Philadelphia Phillies fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in heartbreaking fashion last week, as they lost Games 6 and 7 at Citizens Bank Park in front of their home fans. Phillies fans were not happy, calling for Rob Thomson to be fired and claiming said defeats as one of the worst sports moments in the city's history.
Yes, Philly fans tend to live on the extremes. That is nothing new. But Bryce Harper is right there with them.
"Man, not being able to come through in that moment," Harper said. "it was just devastating for me. I feel like I let my team down and I let the city of Philadelphia down as well. It's a moment I feel like I need to come through."
Should Bryce Harper feel like he let Phillies fans down?
Harper wears his feelings on his sleeve, which is why he is so beloved by fans in the city of brotherly love. Still, by no means should he feel like he let the city down. Harper returned from what was thought to be a season-ending injury early, and then led his team to the postseason. The final two NLCS games were a disappointment, yes, but Philadelphia defeated the Braves for the second straight October. That has to count for something. Owner John Middleton agrees:
"I have never seen an athlete in any sport who resonates more with the Philadelphia fanbase more than Bryce," Middleton said. "I'm talking about any athlete in Philadelphia history.
Much of the Phillies offseason plans revolve around Harper, and for good reason. He pivoted to first base for injury reasons, but actually could project better long term at the position.
"I don't know what's going to happen with Bryce," said general manager Dave Dombrowski. "We need to sit down with Bryce and ask him what his preference is. Sit down with a heart-to-heart on what he wants to do. How he would like to approach it going forward. So I don't know what he's going to do yet at this time, but it is something that we'll have to do relatively soon because we'll have to know what types of moves we're going to make."
Sticking with Harper could lead to Rhys Hoskins departure. Either way, Harper is the centerpiece of that franchise for years to come. He'll have his moment in the sun.
