On Saturday, the Nationals Class A team, the Hagerstown Suns, found out that Bryce Harper was joining their roster.
But they haven’t printed the T-shirts just yet. Or the bobbleheads. Or the unofficial Hagerstown Suns eye black...
According to the team, they’re still in we’ll-believe-it-when-we-see-it mode.
“It’s all tricky,” team owner Bruce Quinn told the Herald-Mail newspaper. “We are holding back on all of our printing on everything. When he gets on the field here, we will start printing everything to have it ready for the home opener.”
The idea of having a player like Harper, whose spring training with the Nationals drew quite a bit of attention, is a daunting one for team personnel. There is security and crowd control to think about. And don’t forget the extra hot dogs.
"Usually the early season is hard for attendance," team GM Bill Farley told the paper. "We have a ton of games in May and with [Harper] here, it will help push us over the top.”
For Quinn, the arrival of the hot hitting outfielder is good for fans -- and his wallet. The jerseys and T-shirts are ready to go and will be ordered the minute Harper walks through the door. But not before that, for fear the Nats pull a fast one and send him elsewhere in the system.
“For me, as a baseball fan, I’m enthralled to see someone of this talent level play in person,” Farley told the Herald-Mail. “But as a person in business, this will be a dream come true.”
Harper’s home debut (as of now) will be April 15, leaving plenty of time to vacuum that red carpet.
Single-game tickets aren't available for sale yet, but you can purchase season tickets or other plans to get your Bryce fix. Click here to see the options.
Questions, comments or tips? Email Sarah at sarahskogod@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@sarahschorno).
