PHILADELPHIA -- A lot of Phillies fans didn't bother to purchase new jerseys in recent years. As the franchise rolled out increasingly mediocre and unfamiliar lineups, many of the fans who bothered to show up at Citizens Bank Park did so with Utley, Howard or a different 2011 teammate written across their backs.
That tide began to turn last season, when the Phillies put together four months of promising baseball before fading hard down the stretch. But it was nothing like Thursday, when Philadelphia officially showed that the city is ready to care about baseball again.
Utley, Howard and Hamels were still scattered throughout the seats, but there were many more Nola, Realmuto, and Hoskins jerseys among the sellout crowd of 44,469. No fashion choice, though, was more popular than the best-selling jersey in baseball.
Bryce Harper, in the first of what could be 2,106 regular season games in a Phillies uniform, was the main attraction on Opening Day. The 26-year-old, fresh off a monster 13-year, $330 million deal, was applauded for each move he made Thursday, simply because he was making them in a Phillies uniform.
"This place was rockin' all through the game," Harper said after his new team crushed the Braves 10-4.
Harper did not have a great day at the plate. He struck out twice and his first Phillies at-bat resulted in a weak groundout to first. It didn't matter. The two lasting images from the day were:
Harper taking a bow after receiving a standing ovation as he jogged out of the Phillies' home dugout for the first time (in bright green Phanatic cleats, no less). The superstar celebrating Rhys Hoskins' seventh-inning grand slam (which came after an intentional walk to Harper) with a handshake they've created in their four weeks as teammates.Harper's debut in red pinstripes was a moment Phillies fans had been hoping for since they begrudgingly watched the team's rebuild bottom out. For the last two years, there was always the sense the Phillies would make a serious attempt to turn the bearded right fielder into their franchise cornerstone, but it was never a sure thing. Even the final hours of Harper's drawn-out free agency were filled with angst in the City of Brotherly Love.
Thursday, Phillies faithful finally had the chance to say thank you to Harper for picking them for 13 years and $330 million.
"We were all excited for Opening Day, excited to get back here and play at Citizens Bank and just be a part of it," Harper said. "The fan base is very excited, the city is very excited and we're going to share this with the city of Philadelphia and try to ride this all year long."
Bryce Harper wasn't wearing all red and white in his Phillies debut.
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While the applause was new, Harper was familiar with his surroundings. He had played at Citizens Bank Park 50 times before, and the former Washington National had logged more plate appearances against Atlanta's starter, Julio Teheran, than any pitcher in his career.
Harper knows the ballpark so well that the security guard of Citizens Bank Park's visiting clubhouse, Butch, was one of the first people he name-checked after he was officially introduced as a Phillie on March 2.
Back at his normal post for Opening Day, Butch said he was pleasantly surprised when he heard Harper's comment. The two became friendly during Harper's time in Washington, as he and Jayson Werth were typically the last two Nationals players to exit the stadium. And while Butch was well aware that Harper could make a decision and wind up in the home clubhouse in 2019, he said he never made it a talking point.
The same can't be said for all Phillies fans, who were free to yell their free agency ideas at Harper 10 different times in 2018. And it became clear recently that if anyone can enjoy a good free agency pitch, it's Harper.
Minutes after he gave Butch a shout-out at his press conference in Clearwater, Fla., Harper mentioned the idea of another All-Star outfielder -- one who grew up nearby -- joining him in the Phillies outfield in a few years. Phillies fans quickly embraced the idea, but the pipe dream was short-lived.
Bryce Harper walked into his new home ballpark sporting a t-shirt with two beloved Philadelphia mascots on Opening Day 2019. Mike Trout isn't coming through that door on Opening Day 2021.
Trout signed a deal one year shorter and $100 million richer than Harper's to remain in Los Angeles barely a week before Opening Day. While Trout's West Coast commitment stung for Philly fans, it highlighted the importance of landing Harper this winter even more. The Phillies have an MVP-caliber household name, and they're either going to sink or swim with a team built around him for more than a decade.
As long as Harper doesn't go 0 for 3 every night, Phillies fans might not have to buy another new jersey for 13 years.
