NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PHILLIES VS PADRES

October 17, 2022

Bryce Harper

Petco Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. From the managerial switch back in June until now, what have you noticed was one of the bigger changes in the clubhouse and the way that the Phillies went about their business and that sort of thing?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I think Rob Thomson is a calming voice, right. He comes in each day, and he's ready to go. I think he loves the game of baseball. He loves the guys that he's around, his staff. He kind of lets everybody just do their job. He's kind of just there to answer any questions or be there for the rookies, veterans, anything like that.

I think he's grateful for the opportunity, and we see that, and I think we're all grateful for the opportunity to play for him. We all want to go out there and play our best game for him, and he just has all the faith in the world in our ability to go out there, and he never gets too high, never gets too low. He's very even keel in what he does.

I said this a couple weeks ago; he's kind of like in "Tombstone" when Doc Holliday says to Wyatt Earp, "You're an oak," because he's just so even keel. There's nothing that upsets him or anything like that. He's very into what he does, and we're just grateful to be able to have him at our top.

Q. It seems almost unfathomable that you went from a managerial change to now in the NLCS. What's the process that happened and your thoughts of, wow, we made it this far even though where we were?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I don't think any of us are shocked at the situation. I think going into Spring Training, Dave Dombrowski and John Middleton making the decision to go over the tax and give us our best chance to win. Of course we didn't play up to our ability in that moment in those first two months I would say, and then we kind of just turned it around. Our bullpen got better. Our starting pitching got better. Our lineup construct got better, and our lineup got better.

I think being able to kind of let our rookies go and let them run and do their thing helped us a lot. When you're able to have that mindset as an organization that we have to let our young guys play, we have to let them succeed, we have to let them fail, as well, we were able to do that.

I think we're reaping those benefits now with the success of Stott and Marsh, Vierling, any guy that's kind of came up has really had success for us. It's been a lot of fun.

Q. Do you see a lot of similarities with your team with the Padres, some strong starting pitching, good hitting throughout the lineup? Is there a lot of similarities between the two teams?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I think people kind of counted us both out, right? I think it was LA or the Braves or the Mets are going to win because those three teams are so dynamic and they had such great regular seasons, as they always do.

I think it is going to be a great series. It's going to be a lot of fun. I know we're looking forward to it as a team and the opportunity to come in here and win a game hopefully and get home. I think we're all excited for that opportunity, and we're looking forward to it.

Q. It seems like you and Manny have been linked together forever. Do you remember the first time you met him or even heard his name?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah. USA Baseball, of course. We all played against each other, played with each other. Manny is a great talent. He's one of the best defenders in the game. He can swing the bat very well. He's having a great year this year. I'm excited to be able to share the field with him.

I think he's an incredible ballplayer, and I look forward to seeing this series and how it goes.

Q. Have you guys talked at all as far as how it worked out perfectly for both you guys? You could have been here, he could have been there?

BRYCE HARPER: No, I mean, that's not a conversation we had.

Q. June 25, the last time you were here, it was for you a horrific night I would imagine. Did you wonder at that moment if you had played your last moment for 2022, and what's it like being back here where it kind of all happened?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I mean, I think anytime you get hit or break a bone or anything like that, those doubts creep into your mind of you might not come back this year or what's going to happen, how the team is going to react.

The team reacted great, right, and I got news that I'd be back six to eight weeks, and I'd be ready to go for September and the postseason.

I put my mind forward and was ready to hit the ground running when I came back and didn't really think about anything else besides trying to help the team any way I could when I was out and be there for any guy that was on the team.

The way they picked up the slack from me being hurt was incredible. They had a great run when I was gone, and they played great, and that's why we're here with this opportunity right now.

Q. What do you think it'll be like getting in the box against Snell again?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I mean, it's just -- it is what it is. It's two players going at it.

Q. You hit .500 in the last series. Looks like something clicked that you had been looking for maybe most of September. What clicked for you?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, like I've been saying, every day is a new day. Doesn't matter if I'm 0-for-4 or 4-for-4 as long as we win the game. I don't care what happens. I just want to win at any cost in anything that we do.

I've told you guys numerous times, hitting the ball over the plate and doing damage with it and not swinging the ones out of the zone, just try and make it as simple as possible and understand that the most important thing is winning.

Q. That night in San Diego and the clubhouse after the game, I was just wondering if you remembered talking to players about keeping this thing going while you're gone and this is not the end of the world, anything like that, or did you hear other teammates kind of talk each other up in terms of keeping this thing rolling?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I mean, I don't think I had any doubt in that happening. With the guys that we do have in that clubhouse, from J.T. to Rhys to Nicky and Schwarber and then our young guys, as well, I think the mindset in the clubhouse has been all year to just keep playing, keep getting to the next game, keep getting to the next at-bat, keep getting that opportunity to play each day.

I don't think there was any doubt when I went down that we weren't going to do what we needed to do to get here. Like I said, they picked up the slack, and Rhys had an incredible month like right after I was hit, and then J.T. had an incredible second half. Nicky came on late, Schwarber with all of his homers, winning games single-handedly. And then our pitching. We could talk about our pitching all day because they're a main reason why we're here as well. Our bullpen, Alvarado coming back and being Alvie, Seranthony, just all of it. Marsh, ever since the deadline with that trade, he's been pretty lights out for us in center field and in the batter's box.

I think just getting that opportunity to still be here, that's all we can ask for.

Q. Bryce, you guys and the Padres had a similar path; neither team reached 90 wins in the regular season, had to fight through the Wild Card, knocking off 100-win teams, but what in particular was that first thought when you heard the Padres beat the Dodgers?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, it's baseball. Anything can happen in baseball. They're a great team. They're a great organization. They made moves at the deadline that made their team that much better, from Juan Soto to Bell to Hader, of course, and Drury.

I think there wasn't any shock at any point. It was either going to be the Dodgers or the Padres. We wouldn't have been shocked at either opponent because both teams are Major League teams.

I think they're a great team. We're looking forward to this opportunity to play them, and I expect this place to be pretty rowdy tomorrow night. They're a city that loves their baseball. I grew up playing here for the San Diego Show and San Diego Stars, as well, so I know how much they love baseball. I look forward to playing here tomorrow night.

Q. Bryce, you and Manny are connected in so many different ways. You both signed at young ages to be leaders of your organization. Just talk about coming in at 26 and then getting to this point in terms of leadership, how far you've come in that realm.

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I think when I sat down, I was going to sign in Philadelphia, it was something that was perfect for me and my family. We connected very well with John Middleton, connected very well with the city of Philadelphia, with the fans, with the organization, kind of their plan, what they were going to do at the time.

Knowing kind of at the time Gabe Kaplan was our manager, having those conversations with him, I was really excited about the future and the direction of this organization.

I knew John Middleton was going to do everything he could to win at all costs. So being able to come in here and play for an organization like this, it's been a lot of fun.

Of course we've had our ups and downs the last couple years. My first Spring Training I can remember I said it's going to take us four, five years to get us to where we want to be. It could take longer than that. Our farm system was kind of depleted at the time.

But being able to bring in Dave Dombrowski, bring in Sam Fuld, Preston Mattingly, Barber, you can go on and on about the guys that kind of came into the last couple years, and it's been great.

They've changed the dynamic of this organization, the culture of this organization, and bringing in winning players, as well.

It's been very easy for me to kind of just be Bryce because I don't need to be anything else than myself because of the guys that I have around me and the family that we do have in that clubhouse.

I'd have to say it's been easy for me because of the guys around me. Rhys is our captain in there. He's a guy that answers all the questions to the media and the PA and everything else, makes our lives easier.

Just having the group of guys that we do around has been really good for us and good for our dynamic, as well.

Q. Back to San Diego Stars, do you have any recollection of travel ball age Joe Musgrove?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I played with Musgrove growing up, from the time we were 10 years old until we were about 14. Joe was a first baseman hitter and could pitch, as well.

But just a lot of fun. Such a great family. I'm so excited for his success. I'm so pumped about his success, as well. He's very good. He's always been very good. Even when he was with Toronto and Houston, and then he comes home and throws his no-no here. Unbelievable to be able to throw a no-hitter in San Diego, his hometown. Just incredible.

I'm very happy for him, very happy for him and his family. I love his parents, his sisters, as well. They're just a great family, so I'm excited for his success and all that he's done.

Q. I'm wondering if turning 30 had any significance for you as a player, as a man, as a dad, all those things, and also if yesterday you may have reflected on the journey to get to 30.

BRYCE HARPER: My trainer asked me today if I felt any different, and I told him I don't know if it's from the flight or just from turning 30, I feel like crap today.

No, I mean, I haven't really thought about it. I can't believe I'm 30 actually. Being 19 in the Show and then getting all the way to here, I don't know, it doesn't feel any different right now. I'm a dad, right, so got a three-year-old and a one-and-a-half-year-old, and got a beautiful wife. I'm just excited for my next 30, right? I'm just excited to be healthy, be happy, be right where I need to be in the city of Philadelphia and playing for such a great team and organization, and I look forward to doing it for a long time.

Q. You alluded to it a little bit ago, but one guy who was not in Philly when you signed was Dave Dombrowski. What were your thoughts when the club hired him? He comes in obviously with a track record of winning everywhere he's gone. What were your thoughts when they hired him, and what have you seen and thought since you've gotten to know him?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, at the time I didn't think we had an opportunity to get him just because he was in Nashville and he wanted to start a team there and had a great opportunity to do that.

And kind of when that didn't happen, we were like, well, what are we waiting for, right? He's won everywhere he's gone. This is kind of his baby now. This is kind of his team that he's put forward. He's made moves. He's made moves with staff, Minor League stuff.

I think we're kind of reaping the benefits of that right now. This is kind of just year one for him. If you don't count COVID and stuff and last year, it was kind of year one, year one and a half, I would say, because this is his now.

I think just as a team, we absolutely love Dave. Just the way he acts and the way he is around us, he wants so much success from his players. He cares deeply about his players, as well. I've never really had -- I take it back, Mike Rizzo was like that, as well. Riz was into his team and loved his team, as well.

But he really cares about us a lot. He wants what's best, if that's from a mental side or a physical side, clubhouse, weight room, training staff, food, anything. He's very, very good with that kind of stuff. He cares about people's families, all of it.

He's an incredible human being and a man, as well. And I'm very grateful that he is our president, and it's going to be a lot of fun to be able to play for him for the next couple years. And I hope he stays all the way through until I'm done. That would be great.

But he's incredible. He's been great for us.