The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Washington Nationals

For Opening Day, Nats fans ripped, defaced and marked-up their Bryce Harper jerseys

By
and 
 
March 29, 2019 at 8:21 a.m. EDT
Fans wait to enter Nationals Park on Opening Day. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
Comment

Bryce Harper played baseball on Thursday. For the Phillies. In Philadelphia.

Nationals fans, meanwhile, went to Opening Day in Washington, wearing red, white and sometimes blue. For some fans, this meant putting on clothes that had once honored Harper. Would they attempt to fix their jerseys? Or destroy their jerseys? Or just leave their jerseys the way they were? Let’s take a look.

Get the full experience.Choose your plan

The rip

Has the added benefit of providing a cooling breeze.

The arts and crafts solution

Duct tape, markers, creative slogans, or even another name written out on tape? Sure, whatever.

“It was kind of a last-minute decision," said Eric Pollard, 32, who wrote Anthony Rendon’s name on blue tape and covered up Harper’s name on the back of his jersey. "I have a jersey with no name and no number, and I could’ve gone with that, but this is more fun.”

Why Nationals fans chanted ‘Lock him up!’ at Anthony Rendon on Opening Day

Pollard, who bought the Harper jersey in 2013, is still debating whether to rotate the names taped on his back, or just get a new jersey. “This could be a Trea Turner jersey next week,” he joked.

As for Harper, well, Pollard once had dreams.

“I wanted him to be a career player here, to stick around for 20 years, be another one of those guys like Ryan Zimmerman, and a perennial all-star," he said. "But baseball is a business and he got the best money he could get.”

Pollard and his wife plan to attend Harper’s return to Washington next week, and will likely boo the former star, but “not out of hate.”

He got plenty of comments for his handiwork on Thursday. And on his way down the ramp after the final out, a Nats fan tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Your jersey is the best part about this game.”

The advanced arts and crafts solution

Do schools still teach arts and crafts? Maybe they should start.

The political message

I mean, aren’t we all sellouts, in the end?

The profane

Hide the kids.

Scenes from Nationals Park on Opening Day

Share
View Photos
Isaiah Lozada, 7, of Reston, Va., walks around with his glove and ball during the Opening Day festivities at Nationals Park before the Washington Nationals take on the New York Mets. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Read more MLB coverage:

Nationals can’t deliver what they promised in 2-0 Opening Day loss to Mets

Most experts predict the Nationals will return to the postseason in 2019

With a bow, a roar and a ground out, the Bryce Harper Era in Philadelphia is underway

Loading...