Bryce Harper is no longer DC’s darling, but he looks back fondly on 2018 Derby and his Nationals career

PHILADELPHIA — There is no erasing the image in the mind of a fan at Nationals Park that night in July eight years ago. Late in the District night, Bryce Harper belted ball after ball thrown by his father into the crowd — he crushed nine home runs in a span of 10 swings in the final minute, then went on to win the whole dang Home Run Derby.

Harper kept his hair in order by wearing a headband in the design of the Washington D.C. flag. He wore his Nationals jersey — No. 34, which appeared on the backs of so many fans in that city over his time in Washington — and he received a hero’s roar when he won the event.

In hindsight, that last crescendo at Nationals Park was an unofficial farewell to a city in which Harper grew from teenage phenom to perennial All-Star.

That winter, when Harper became a free agent, he departed the team that drafted him first overall in 2010 to join the National League East rival Philadelphia Phillies. His reception at Nationals Park now is a different sort of roar than that magical night many moons ago, and Harper endures the knowledge that Washington wound up winning the World Series one year later, without his involvement.

On Monday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Harper is preparing for his first Home Run Derby appearance since 2018. The first experience, competing in front of his home fans, was so meaningful that it spurred Harper back into an event he once said he’d never do again.

“That’s the only reason I’m really doing it, to be doing it at a home ballpark,” Harper said. “I said I’d never do it again, and this is the only reason I’m doing it, because it’s in our ballpark, in front of our fans and the city.”

Harper is completely, truly a Philadelphia man now. He has played for the Phillies longer than he ever played for the Nationals. He is hunting for postseason glory for his new city, and generally, thoughts of Washington are better left in the past.

But on Monday, when reflecting on that 2018 Home Run Derby experience, Harper was asked how Washington shaped him. Deeply, is the short answer.

In 2012, when he made his first All-Star appearance, he was a 19-year-old playing with his hair on fire. He became an All-Star in six of the seven seasons he spent with the Nationals, and while fans at Nationals Park don’t welcome him back with fond regard, Harper feels a strong connection to the city.

“There was a lot of success we had in D.C.,” Harper said. “[General manager] Mike Rizzo did a great job building that club, kind of with his hands tied behind his back sometimes, right? Making moves, making trades when he needed to, or when he could. We had a lot of success there.”

The Nationals made the postseason four times during Harper’s tenure, but they didn’t advance past the National League Division Series. After Harper left for Philadelphia, Washington went on a run — the Nationals turned around a season that began 19-31 to win the World Series.

That’s a fact Nationals fans do not let Harper forget.

“When they won it in ’19, I was super pumped for those guys,” Harper said. “It’s funny to hear Nats fans yell at me and say, ‘Hey, you don’t have a ring yet; we have one,’ blah, blah, blah. But I couldn’t be more happy for the guys I played with who got them. I mean, Trea [Turner’s] one of those guys, obviously, and he’s one of my best friends.”

Harper has continued to be a force. In 955 games for the Phillies — 28 more than he played for the Nationals — his .279 average is the exact same as it was for the Nationals. His on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .907 is seven percentage points higher than his time in Washington. Harper has grown older, but his production remains.

That leads him to his ninth career All-Star Game. Around him, spread along the concourse in Philadelphia for a media session, were CJ Abrams and James Wood — two young stars who now carry the hopes of Washington, like Harper once did.

“Obviously, they went into a lull, but now they’re back to kind of having success,” Harper said. “They’re one of the best hitting teams in the game. Obviously, when we play them, I want to beat them. We’re in the same division. We want to win. But I love going back there. I love playing there. I love getting booed there, to tell you the truth. Happened to Jayson Werth coming back here, as well. I understand fan bases, I understand what they’re going to be like and all that, but I had fun there.

“I had success there, as well. But it built me to be a different player here in Philly, as well,” Harper continued. “This organization gave me that chance, and it has been a lot of fun. I love playing here. Everybody knows that. It’s good and bad at the same time with fans. Obviously, they’re gonna let you know when you’re playing bad and when you’re playing good. I love that. Keeps you accountable, holds you accountable. So, I mean, it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed it. I’m glad I made the move here.”

It has led him back to the Home Run Derby, eight years later, in front of a new home crowd.

But that Home Run Derby in D.C. meant something to the city then. And it still means plenty to Harper now. Why else would he take to the field Monday night for a second Derby, if not to feel the embrace of a city once again?

“That’s a big reason we wanted to do it,” said Kyle Schwarber, Harper’s Phillies teammate who competed against him in the 2018 Derby and will do so again Monday night. “We’re here at The Bank and you know your fan base is going to show out for this, and you want to feel like you’re representing them, as well.”