"I’m pretty sure I underpaid you" - Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton has high praise for superstar Bryce Harper after dominant performance in National League Championship Series
Whichever way the Philadelphia Phillies' 2022 postseason Cinderella run ends. it will surely be talked about for years to come.
The coaching staff and the organization in general went in and grabbed the best offensive players in the market during the offseason. They also proceeded to improve their pitching staff quite a bit during the trade deadline.
The franchise is now back in the World Series after 13 years. The Phillies have toppled early title favorites from the National League, including the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
Much of this has been made possible by their main man Bryce Harper, who has by all aspects been white-hot this postseason. Harper has been prolific for the Philadelphia Phillies. So much so that owner John Middleton believes he underpaid the slugger despite signing him for $300 million.
“Un ****** believable”
“I think I’ve underpaid you.
I said, ‘I’m not sure you can underpay somebody when you give them $330 million, but I’m pretty sure I underpaid you’”
-I asked Phillies owner John Middleton what he told Bryce Harper here https://t.co/Ds9r8mWShx
When asked by NBCS journalist John Clark about what he told Harper in a video that went viral after their NLCS victory against the San Diego Padres, Middleton said:
“'Un ****** believable, I think I’ve underpaid you.' I said, 'I’m not sure you can underpay somebody when you give them $330 million, but I’m pretty sure I underpaid you.'”
Given what Harper has shown this postseason, Middleton could certainly have a point in what he told his slugger.
Bryce Harper's infamous Philadelphia Phillies press conference
Three years ago, in Clearwater, Florida, Bryce Harper was unveiled to the press as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. The former Washington Nationals superstar and then-one-time NL MVP signed a massive 13-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies.
What can be recalled from that day is Harper's accidental slip-up when he said that he wanted to bring a title back to D.C. instead of his new squad in Philadelphia.
Bryce: "We want to bring a title back to D.C." Oops. https://t.co/4ygJdukIon
"Bryce: "We want to bring a title back to D.C." Oops." - @ Jake Russell
That year, the Washington Nationals went on to beat the Houston Astros in the World Series in seven games and claimed their first title as a franchise. Harper was relentlessly trolled for his slip-up, especially during times when the Phillies struggled.
Fast forward to this day, however, and Harper has carried his team to the World Series to face the Houston Astros. This should undoubtedly silence his haters and naysayers.