Bryce Harper honors Roy Halladay by taking #3

Bryce Harper is going to be in Philadelphia for a while.  Last week he signed a record 13 year deal worth $330M with the Phillies and has a no trade clause and no opt out during that span.  To put it lightly, that is an insanely long contract and anything can happen in those 13 years.  Harper has had a history of injuries and hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year when he was 19 years old.  He’s an extremely streaky player and only batted .249 last season.

However, Harper got off on the right foot with Phillies fans by relinquishing his previously worn #34 in honor of Roy Halladay and instead choosing to go with #3.  For those who don’t know by now, Halladay was killed in a plane crash while flying on November 7th, 2017.  His plane was found in the Gulf of Mexico and he was the only one on board.

Doc’s number 32 was retired by the Toronto Blue Jays but hasn’t yet been retired by the Phillies.  It most certainly will be this season, especially with the fact that Halladay was the most recent inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Harper took the high road and made a nice gesture in taking #3 when he could have easily taken #34.  There probably wasn’t much of a choice, but Harper being a man of controversy could have unintentionally stirred the pot.  He didn’t and all is well in Philadelphia.  Halladay is missed by all and is considered one of the best pitchers in MLB history.  His legacy will live on forever and his postseason no-hitter against the Reds in the 2010 ALDS was one of the great accomplishments in baseball history.  It’s going to be a long road for Harper to gain that stature, but he took a step in the right direction with this gesture.