Exchanging pleasantries after a youth baseball game is standard. The players and coaches line up to shake hands, blurt out a few "Good game!" comments to the better players, then return to their respective dugouts to pack up their glove and helmet.
All of that happened for two New Jersey youth teams this past weekend, but with one core memory made. Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper helped coach his son Krew's game, then lined up for the postgame handshake.
It was only last week that Harper hit a home run in the playoffs, but now he is back to being a dad. It was not only great for his son to have Harper around, but also for everyone who played in the game. Every kid present will remember that game for the rest of their lives. And fans shouldn't overlook what Harper is doing when he isn't playing in all 162 Phillies games.
Bryce Harper's presence in the Greater Philadelphia region gets stronger every year
Not only does Harper want to win in Philadelphia, but he tries to be part of the local community. Two years ago, he was a teenager's wingman in a prom proposal. His TikTok presence is among the most personal of all MLB players, too.
A decade ago, Harper was labeled as the young and wild top prospect. He was a polarizing and outspoken player, which several veterans didn't take kindly to. Long-time fans will remember when the Phillies traded Jonathan Papelbon to the Washington Nationals during Harper's 2015 MVP season, and even truer sickos will recall when Papelbon publicly choked out Harper in the dugout during the team's late-season collapse.
There's no arguing that when Harper was with the Nationals, he had a different public persona, perhaps flashier, but also off-putting to fans across the league, too. But now, as a father, he's come into his own as a role model.
Think about how long those players are going to talk about Bryce Harper high-fiving them after a game on an October night. It's those kinds of stories that stick with young ballplayers, not just how Harper performs in the playoffs.
Given how Harper has carried himself off the field, fans should still feel comfortable building a roster around him. Harper remains one of the game's great players, but his human side should be winning Phillies fans over—if, of course, he hasn't already done so.
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