Years ago, in their first contest, Cole Hamels welcomed Harper to the big leagues by throwing a baseball at his spine. We can now point to this as the moment Harper’s relationship with the Phillies began. After today, we apparently know how it will continue.
Bryce Harper is just a man. A 26-year-old man who is a former NL MVP, a six-time all-star in seven years, who will likely hit his 200th career home run in 2019. He is a man the Phillies have watched bash their pitching since his debut in 2012, slashing .271/.378/.519 against them in that time and hitting the most home runs in their park than he has hit anywhere else outside Washington, D.