In seven seasons in the nation's capital, Bryce Harper never made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Now, the Washington Nationals are preparing to play in their first-ever World Series during Year 1 of the post-Harper era.
Although that storyline has been the talk of the internet, the Philadelphia Phillies outfielder doesn't hold any hard feelings.
"They made their decision, and I made my decision as well," Harper told The Athletic's Jayson Stark. "I made the best decision for my family. And I am so happy to be in Philly. It's the place that I wanted to be."
For those wondering: No, he's not jealous. He told Stark he's "so happy" for his former teammates:
"No, because like I said, I made my decision, and that was my decision. And it was the final decision that I made. You know, jealousy isn't good. For me, it's about having the gratitude to go out and do what I do each day and not having an attitude towards anybody else.
"I think it's about being able to be the person that I am and not saying to myself, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm not a National.' Or, 'Oh my gosh, those guys are doing what they're doing. I can't believe it. I'm so jealous.' No. I'm so happy for them. You know how hard it is to get into the postseason and win games. For them to be able to put it together this year the way they have, it's an amazing thing."
Drafted No. 1 overall in 2010, Harper spent the first nine years of his professional career with the Nats organization. The outfielder earned a number of accolades, including the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year award, six All-Star selections and the 2015 NL MVP award, while helping the team transform into a contender.
With free agency on the horizon, though, he turned down a $300 million extension from Washington near the end of the 2018 season. Harper, who turned 27 on Wednesday, signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies in March.
Philadelphia hung in the playoff race for much of the 2019 regular season but was ultimately eliminated from contention on Sept. 24. Against the Nationals. In Washington.
Harper and the Phillies, who finished 81-81, have been forced to watch the postseason from home. Meanwhile, the Nationals, who earned a wild-card berth with a 93-69 record after going 82-80 last season, have reeled off six consecutive victories en route to their first NL pennant.
Last month, Harper's wife, Kayla, called out Nationals fans on social media for being "classless," saying hecklers crossed the line by talking about her newborn son. The Harpers haven't let that sour their view of the organization, though.
Bryce told Stark of the Nationals' postseason run: "I've been watching a lot of it. Those are the guys I played with and came through the organization with. ... I wish them nothing but the best. And that's real. I have no hard feelings toward them or [general manager] Mike Rizzo or anything like that. You know, they're a great team. And that's why they are where they are."
During his introductory press conference in Philadelphia, Harper slipped up and said he wanted "to bring a title back to D.C." Little did he know his former teammates would have an opportunity to do exactly that this October.
"Happy" - Google News
October 18, 2019 at 09:42PM
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Bryce Harper Not Jealous of Nationals Being in World Series: 'So Happy for Them' - Bleacher Report
"Happy" - Google News
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