"Living paycheck to paycheck... that was hard" - When Bryce Harper's mother Sheri became emotional over Phillies star's childhood struggles
For Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper, money is not something the slugger has to worry about. He is playing on a $330 million deal that he signed in 2019.
However, money was an issue for Harper and his family growing up. They did not have many extra funds to spare, making Harper cherish the things that he did have.
His family lived paycheck to paycheck when he was growing up, making it hard to keep up with the expenses that come with baseball. Harper's mom, Sheri, explained just how hard it was via ESPN's Tim Keown.
"Living paycheck to paycheck, and $350 for a bat? That was hard," said Sheri.
Sheri recalls a moment when Harper was getting ready to play in a tournament but had a broken bat. With no money to spend, the family looked for anything they could sell.
This is when his father, Ron, stumbled upon a Winchester Model 94 Golden Spike Commemorative 30-30 rifle. The gun had never been fired and Ron brought it to his neighbor's house, looking for a deal.
"It paid a bill and bought a bat. It was a good day," said Ron.
That would be a moment that Harper would never forget. Years later, he would look to return the favor as he knew how much that gun meant to his father.
Bryce Harper was determined to bring back that gun
The Harper family moved, time passed, and the gun was eventually forgotten about. It was not until 2019 when Bryce Harper's sister, Brittany had the idea to find the gun.
They wanted to gift it back to their father as a Christmas present, so they went off on their mission. They headed back to their old neighborhood, not knowing if their old neighbor would still be there.
The old neighbor was more than surprised to see the Phillies' superstar standing on his front porch. And to the surprise of the Harper family, he still had the gun.
Bryce Harper asked to buy it back, and the neighbor insisted on selling it back to him for the $500 that Ron sold it to him for. Surprisingly, Bryce offered $1,000 for it and after some arm-twisting, the Harper family had their gun back.
On Christmas morning, the family gathered to watch Ron open up his present. He was more than shocked when he realized what was under the wrapping paper.
"Holy cow, where did you find this one? asked Ron.
Ron was baffled when the family explained how it was his old gun. Neither Ron nor Sheri can tell this story without breaking down emotionally. There is no denying they raised a great human being.