BY MIKE PAYNE
In our little corner of the collectibles universe, the first question most asked upon hearing that Bryce Harper had signed a 13-year, $330 million free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Phillies was: What does that mean for us? How will the change from Nationals red, white and blue to Phillies red pinstripes aff ect how we view Harper? In two words: It won’t.
Sure, there were the short-term gains from delirious Phillies fans who felt like they had just matched all six digits on their Powerball grid. And the day after the former National League MVP’s introductory press conference in Clearwater, Fla., some 12,387 copies of the first Harper Phillies Topps NOW card had been bought and sold. And this was simply a shot of Harper working to button up the obligatory press conference Phillies jersey ove.This dress shirt. More than 12,000 of the cards sold.
Who knows how many, if any, were bought by Nationals fans? It’s understandable in times like this when baseball emotions have been invested in a homegrown star, to feel jilted and spurned. flat’s the sting of free agency for fans – some are cheering because they got their guy while others are looking in their closet wondering if they’ll ever again wear that Nationals #34 jersey that used to mean so much.