One of the biggest stories of the Major League Baseball offseason finally came to an end on Saturday morning. Superstar free agent outfielder Bryce Harper officially signed a record 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Harper wore the number 34 during his time with the Washington Nationals. But that number was worn by late Phillies great Roy Halladay, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame this offseason. Certainly, Harper wouldn't risk disrespecting Halladay or the team by trying to take his old number.
Instead, Harper chose the number of another Philadelphia sports legend — Sixers shooting guard Allen Iverson. Iverson wore the number three during all but one season of his 14-season Hall of Fame career. Now, Harper will try to follow in his footsteps on the diamond.
So how did Allen Iverson react to the news? Via his Twitter account:
This number will be retired from the Phillies!!! #illHaveItFirst #SoDope #BryceFan #3 pic.twitter.com/7Yo03jwbiH
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) March 2, 2019
It's safe to say that Iverson is a Harper fan, and you can't blame him. Still only 26, Harper has slashed .279/.388/.512 with 184 home runs over his seven-season career to this point, good for a 140 wRC+. Despite a somewhat disappointing year in 2018, Harper remains one of the game's brightest young stars, and now he is likely to finish the majority of his career in Philadelphia.
Last season, the Phillies had a 80-82 record and ultimately fell ten and a half games short of the second wild card spot in the National League. However, they have been one of baseball's most active teams this offseason and look like serious contenders.
Iverson, now 43, was an 11-time All-Star and led the league in scoring four times. Over his 722 career games with the Sixers, he averaged 27.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
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