Phillies: 3 best quotes from Bryce Harper after World Series clincher

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Just seven days after his 30th birthday, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper gave the City of Brotherly Love a belated present on Sunday.

Harper blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to push the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. With the victory, the Phillies will represent the NL in the World Series, which begins on Friday.

This postseason, the former NL MVP is 18-for-43 (.419) with five home runs and 11 RBI as the Phillies have advanced from the sixth seed in the NL bracket to the Fall Classic.

3 best quotes from Bryce Harper after Philadelphia Phillies advance to World Series

Of course, after the World Series-clinching win, Harper had plenty to tell reporters about not only the game, but also the Phillies heading back to the World Series for the first time since 2009. It’s also the first-ever World Series appearance for Harper.

Quote 1: The Philly crowd

Harper was asked about what makes the environment at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park different than other stadiums.

“It’s Philly, man. They hate you,” Harper said. “The other team on the other side, they can’t stand — unless you’re wearing Philly red or you’re a Philly, they don’t like you, and I love that. I love every emotion that they have. “They pay their hard-earned dollar every day to get to the ballpark for us, and they’re doing it right now for us during the playoffs. They just want you to work hard. They don’t care. They just want you to grind for them. They want you to go out there and play the best baseball you can, no matter what.”

Oct 23, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper, left, and teammates celebrate after their 4-3 win over he San Diego Padres to win the National League Pennant in game five of the NLCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank ParkMandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Quote 2: All about family

When Harper hit his go-ahead home run on Sunday, there was a look to the Philadelphia dugout that caught a lot of people’s attention.

BRYCE HARPER ARE YOU SERIOUS?! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/NKRTeNLJMl
— MLB (@MLB) October 23, 2022

Now in his fourth season as a member of the Phillies, Harper has embraced the special relationship that exists with Philadelphia fans and their teams. He has also embraced his teammates and the close bonds that have formed on this October journey.

“I hit the ball, and I just looked at my dugout and kind of it’s for all of them,” Harper said. “It’s for this whole team. It’s for this whole organization. We haven’t been here for a long time. It’s for every single fan that’s here now and that isn’t here. It’s for all of them no matter — like I said, where you came from, who you are, you’ve got Phils on your chest, you’re family. I really believe that. That’s from right here. “I feel that each day when I walk into the ballpark, and I just — that’s it, man. Everybody that has Phillies on their chest is family, man.”

Jun 16, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper (3) in the dugout before the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

Quote 3: Four more to go

Harper was asked if hitting the game-winning home run felt like a dream he might have had as a child when he envisioned himself being the hero in the postseason.

“Yeah, I think we all think in our backyards it’s the World Series, right? Every moment, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, 3-2 count, best pitcher on the mound in the World Series,” Harper said. “So you dream about it, but also you dream about that next step. You dream about that next one. So I’m looking forward to that next one. I think we’re all looking forward to that next one.”

As he alluded to in that quote, as great as this postseason run has been for the Phillies (knocking off the champions of the Central and East Divisions (the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, respectively) before taking down the Padres), Harper and Philadelphia know there are still four more victories needed before getting the ultimate prize of a World Series title.

“This is great. To be able to be the last National League team standing right now. The Philadelphia Phillies, we’re here. We’re ready to go in that next round,” Harper said. “We’ve got four more. We’re going to enjoy this as a team, as a group, but we’ve got four more.”

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Philadelphia may go into the World Series as an underdog, but the Phillies have thrived in that role since late September when a five-game losing streak put their bid for a postseason spot in jeopardy. However, winning four of five games on the road to clinch the Wild Card before winning a pair in St. Louis to advance to the NLDS galvanized the essence of team for the Phillies through travel. Now the Phillies are ready to travel again, with Harper and company planning to once again shock the baseball world.

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