Saturday marked a special occasion for Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida.
The Red Sox rookie has long admired Phillies star Bryce Harper, calling him his favorite player in the past and even naming his French bulldog “Harper” after him. He also wore the No. 34, Harper’s number with the Nationals, when he played in Japan. With the Red Sox in Philadelphia for a three-game set against the Phillies, Yoshida finally got to meet his baseball hero.
Harper came to Saturday’s meeting bearing gifts for Yoshida, giving him two bats and a pair of cleats. One of the bats was from last year’s NLCS, which Harper helped the Phillies win.