[Editors’ note: This story was originally published on Oct. 22, 2022, the night before Bryce Harper hit his fifth home run of the playoffs Sunday to help send Philadelphia to its first World Series since ’09.]
Bryce Harper spent most of his major league career trying to play the role of Bryce Harper, like John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich. As the rare baseball rookie who arrived as a celebrity, he had to live up to expectations and image. He spent his first six years on the clock toward free agency and measured against Mike Trout. And when he signed with the Phillies, a team with six straight losing seasons, he had to be big enough to sell tickets and drag a franchise back to respectability.
