Harper: "I love the Phillies fans, I boo myself"

Bryce Harper Faces Adversity with the Phillies

The boos from Phillies fans in their stadium probably overshadowed Bryce Harper’s current performance. The Phillies’ star hitter has a single and three strikeouts in the National League Division Series, where Philadelphia is down 2-0 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the current World Series champions.

I love our fans. I boo myself when I get eliminated.
Bryce Harper

Game 3 will be played on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, with the Phillies facing elimination in the best-of-five series.

I’ll probably get booed tomorrow night too.
Bryce Harper

Harper disagreed that a change of venue, away from their frustrated fanbase, would be a good thing for the struggling Phillies.

We have some of the best baseball fans and they make me play better, so I enjoy it. They show up for us every day. They spend the money they work so hard to earn to come watch us play; they expect greatness from us and I expect greatness from myself and my teammates as well.
Bryce Harper

Third baseman Nick Castellanos had a great performance in a wild ninth inning that almost gave the Phillies the win on Monday. The fans’ reaction ranged from loud cheers to deafening boos in the 4-3 loss.

I think the stadium is alive on both sides, right? When the game is going well, it’s wind at our backs, but when the game isn’t going well, it’s wind in our faces. The atmosphere can be with us and the atmosphere can be against us.
Nick Castellanos

Harper was glad to be in sunny Los Angeles, not far from his hometown, Las Vegas, where he was a Dodgers fan. He became a father for the fourth time last week, when his wife, Kayla, gave birth to a son.

I have an incredible wife, man. She pushed that thing out in three pushes and 30 seconds. She’s an absolute monster doing it. Women. Man, what a breed. I’m serious, it’s something incredible. Being able to hold your child for the first time is something. It’s one of the best moments of my life.
Bryce Harper

The couple now has two boys, Krew and Hayes, and two girls, Brooklyn and Kamryn, all under 6 years old. Harper said he loves baseball, but his family is the most important thing.