In a few respects, Brandon Marsh and Bryce Harper can be considered equals. They are both Major League Baseball veterans, they both throw right-handed and hit left-handed. They both have striking facial hair, though vastly different lengths.
But Marsh doesn’t completely agree with that sentiment.
Even though they are only separated by about five years in age, the Phillies outfielder talked about the 2-time MVP on The Chris Rose Show, and how his hero worship for Harper started way back when.
“I’ve looked up to Bryce ever since I was a kid, man,” said Marsh. “I’m a little kid just starting up baseball, and I’m like ‘I wanna be just like that guy!’ And now I’m on his team, asking for help on the pitcher he just faced, it’s just so surreal, man. It’s crazy.”
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Marsh was traded to the Phillies in August of 2022, immediately thrust not only into the heat of a pennant race, but as now the teammate of his childhood idol. You can imagine the thoughts flooding his head, but as he recounted, Harper treated him as an equal, not as a fan.
“I remember him and [Kyle] Schwarber coming up to me the day I got there,” Marsh recalled. “I don’t know much about Philadelphia, grew up in Atlanta… Harper and Schwarber just kind of put their arm around me the second I got in that locker room, and were like ‘Hey kid, I know we don’t know much about each other, but we’re in a tight pennant race here. So, you just gotta get in or get out.’ In like an encouraging way, you know?”
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“It’s like, ‘we’re gonna be here every step of the way, we’re gonna be here for you, if you need anything, you come to us and let us know. But we’re gonna need you if we’re gonna get to what we wanna get to.’”
“Just hearing stuff like that from those guys, it hit deeper, and I was like, ‘Ok. They got my back, it’s time to ride out there with them.’”
The rest is history, and further testimony that not only will Harper eventually go down as an all-time great player, but as a great teammate as well.
