Call to the pen
Fansided

In depth breakdown of Bryce Harper’s shocking tell-all interview

By Ben Fadden

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 07: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies leaves the field against the Boston Red Soxof a Grapefruit League spring training game on March 07, 2020 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 07: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies leaves the field against the Boston Red Soxof a Grapefruit League spring training game on March 07, 2020 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Bryce Harper revealed many never before heard details about his free agency process, his desire to grow the game through the Olympics, and his view of his infamous Hunter Strickland brawl.

Baseball fans have been dying for some great baseball content, as it should be the middle of the 2020 regular season. And boy did we get it.

Bryce Harper hopped on Starting 9’s podcast for about two hours to talk about a range of topics that we will be diving into today from the Hunter Strickland fight, his desire to play for Team USA in the Olympics, and an in-depth thought process through his free agency before signing a 13-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

After listening to the full two hours and taking pages and pages of notes, here are the most important things that stood out during the interview. For Harper’s full thoughts on his free agency go to page three (for why things didn’t work out in Washington), page four (for his other offers from the Dodgers, Astros, and Giants), and page five (for why the Phillies won the bidding).

Some quotes are edited for clarity.

Hunter Strickland has Bryce Harper’s respect

Bryce Harper was very willing to get into what exactly went down in his famous fight with Hunter Strickland. In terms of Harper’s opinion on brawls, he has no problem with it: “If you’re gonna do it then do it.”

“I have no problem with Hunter Strickland…I was standing in the dugout talking with J-Dub [Jayson Werth] and I said ‘If he hits me, I’m going.’ He was like ‘He’s not gonna hit you,” Harper explained. “I said ‘You better be on the top step because I’m going’ and I think that was the mentality Strick had too.”

Harper even poked a little fun at himself for his helmet throw that went viral. “I guess I got so mad at Joe Panik I threw my helmet at Joe Panik,” he joked.

Strickland held a grudge against Harper for something he did three years earlier in 2014 when Harper absolutely owned him in the postseason. But as Harper pointed out in the interview, Strickland got a ring out of it and Harper didn’t.

But at least Harper won the fight.

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