Bryce Harper has had a rough couple of months since his return from the disabled list in late June. The former National League rookie of the year was benched by manager Matt Williams for not running out an infield grounder, he's been slumping at the plate, and late last week the idea of sending the phenom down to the minor leagues was openly discussed in D.C. sports circles.
But, this weekend, in a showdown against the Nationals' Eastern Division rival the Atlanta Braves, Harper didn't let his batting slump keep him from showing his swagger (Natitude, the DC ball club's fans call it) as he deliberately swept his foot across the stenciled Atlanta Braves' "A" in the dirt behind home plate at Turner field.
Vine account Gradick Sports captured the moment:
According to the Washington Post, the Braves announcers made note of the move after their fans booed Harper robustly each time he tread across the sacred dirt behind the plate. "Harper, now [in] two at-bats has done the same thing as he makes his way to the left-hand batters box," Atlanta’s television play-by-play man said during Harper’s second at-bat. "Watch what he does when he gets to the ‘A’ behind home plate." "Just endears himself to more Braves fans," quipped the color man. The Atlanta Brave Twitter account sent out a weak-cheese admonition to Harper and any other player who may dare walk incorrectly on their little vowel:
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 10, 2014
"Respect the A"? Grow up, Atlanta. No wonder your most famous player in history is named "Chipper."
Harper, for his part, pleaded ignorance when it was suggested he tried to disrupt the immaculately groomed soil:
"That’s the last thing on my mind when I’m walking up to the plate. I really had no idea," Harper said. "When [a team staffer] came up to me, I had no clue that I did anything. Seriously, that’s the last thing on my mind going to face Harang or Kimbrel or somebody like that. I had no idea why that was such a big deal. Of course, that’s the last thing on my mind."
As of Monday morning, #RespectTheA and "Bryce Harper" were both top trending stories on Facebook and Twitter so Harper, batting below the Mendoza Line, has been able to achieve something this summer. Imagine how well the first place Nationals would be doing if Harper could show some fire at the plate, rather than while playing in the dirt behind it.