PHILADELPHIA -- Bryce Harper is always bringing something new to the field, whether it’s cleats, bats, arm sleeves or headbands.
He carried a special blue bat into the batter’s box in the first inning of Monday night's 10-4 loss to the Giants at Citizens Bank Park. It was how he learned, and then announced, that the Harpers’ fourth child will be a boy.
“Pretty cool, pretty special day,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said.
Harper asked Turner before the game to help with the gender reveal by giving him either a pink bat or a blue bat before his first-inning at-bat.
“I was confused at first, but I think he wanted to share that moment with us,” Turner said. “I think it was pretty cool. He’s a pretty creative guy. He let us know in our team meeting. He kind of wanted to share the moment with everybody. He was nice enough to ask me to do it. I thought it was a nice moment for him and his family. I think they were all watching here from up top.”
Harper gets his bats from Victus Sports in nearby King of Prussia. Victus delivered two bats to the ballpark: One pink, one blue.
“I got a text message with the gender,” Turner said. “I messed with him a little bit in the dugout. I picked up the pink one and swung it around a little bit. He thought he was having a girl, so I had to mess with him a little bit. Sure enough, it was a boy. I ended up handing him the blue one, and he was pretty happy.”
Harper and his wife Kayla have a son, Krew, and two daughters, Brooklyn and Kamryn. Baby No. 4 will make the Harpers a family of six.
“Like I said, he thought he was having a girl,” Turner said. “So when I was messing with him, he was like, ‘I knew it was a girl.’ Then, I handed him the blue one. I said, ‘You’re not going to need that pink one.’ He was just excited. I think he would have been excited either way, but now, he’s got two of each. Kind of a complete family already, but like I said, anytime you can add another person to the family, I think it’s special. I think he was super excited.”