The baseball superstar, who recently just transferred to the Philadelphia Phillies, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to all who supported him. From his former team Washington Nationals, the team’s fans, and to the city that he spent most of his career with. His post reads,
“If you would have told me 5 years ago I would be walking into Nationals Park as an opposing player, I would’ve told you that you were crazy. Five years later, I’m doing just that. I remember the first day I walked into Nats Park. My first base hit. My first home run. And, of course, my first standing ovation. Nationals fans delivered that first ovation.
Bryce Harper
The things that I will miss most are the relationships I gained on a personal level with so many of the Nationals staff and workers around the ballpark. Every day I walked in, I got a smile or shared a laugh with you. I especially want to thank The Lerner Family and Mike Rizzo for the unwavering support they showed me during my tenure in DC.”
Bryce Harper
In his Instagram post, he also mentioned a couple of spots that he made the city felt like home. This caught the attention of the team’s fans, and it somehow backfired. Included in his statement was The Italian Store, Filomena’s, and the Silver Diner.
“The city of DC was home. Filomena’s, The Silver Diner, The Italian store, and countless other places helped make it feel like home. You, Nationals fans, made me one of your own for the entire time I was a part of the Nationals organization. I’m so blessed to have been able to play for a fan base that cared so much about our team each and every night. You will always hold a special place in my heart no matter what. I look forward to continuing Harpers Heroes with LLS in the DMV as well as making sure the legacy fields bearing my name are the best youth fields in town!
Bryce Harper
When I run on the field tonight I am sure to hear some boos, but I will always remember the cheers and the screams that are still with me right now, as I start my new chapter. So for that, DC, THANK YOU.”
There were no Silver Diner within the proximity of the city proper. And as you might have guessed, this was what fans and critics widely shared across the social media platform. Some of the most notable tweets that got attention was,
“LOLLL Bryce Harper gave a shoutout to Silver Diner and said that place made DC feel like home. There are no Silver Diners in DC”
Josh Valles
“So, if you needed another reason to hate Bryce Harper, his “thank you” to DC fans comes months after he left the team, signs with a division rival, and he mentions the Silver Diner as one of his top reasons for loving the Capitol City. You do you, Bryce”
Jon Evans
Though it wasn’t really supposed to be that big of an issue, with his departure from his previous team, fans were now “realizing” and having an “epiphany” as they so-called it, that Harper really know nothing about the City he played for, for several years. To add flavor into the issue, some people think that the food chain Silver Diner doesn’t have the DC feel into it or doesn’t really reflect “home” as Harper’s post in Instagram portrayed.
To clear things off with the Silver Diner, there was story that pretty much sums up what Harper wanted to convey in his Instagram post. He clearly was pertaining to the chain in Clarendon, which was just a drive away from his former home. The story even shared what Harper ordered, the bison huevos rancheros. It was mentioned that he truly was a regular there, probably because of the “peace” he was getting there.
Being an all-star ‘five-tool player’ for the Washington Nationals was a highly regarded achievement, and it’s what gained him millions of fans across the nation. For seven years, he was cheered on, gained much popularity, and got a ton of cash doing so. You could only imagine the fan’s disappointment and outrage when it was announced that he was leaving the team and transferring to a rival team.
Harper made the front page in sports news for a decent amount of time, after sources revealed that he signed a $330 million 13-year contract with his previous team’s long-time rival, the Philadelphia Phillies. Though he might truly feel like home with the Washington Nationals, you can’t deny the fact that a contract that big is no joke. In truth, it made him one of the most highly paid baseball players in the history of north American sports.
It truly is sad that critics and fans adored this baseball star just months ago, but now is under scrutiny for a decision that wasn’t even up for a debate. If you were handed $330 million to do what you really love, you take it.
