Does Bryce Harper Own Washington?

Photograph courtesy of Sports Illustrated’s Twitter feed.

He’s not of legal drinking age until October, and is only starting his sophomore season
as a pro, but on the cover of the new issue of
Sports Illustrated,
Bryce Harper looks the very picture of a confident, cocky, and grown-up man. In fact, with the
monuments as a background and a bat slung over his back, he looks like he owns the
city.

The cover question is, “What does Bryce Harper have in mind for his encore?” Inside
he bats away any bad sophomore juju: “Sophomore slump? I was a sophomore in college
and raked. Why can’t you rake in the big leagues?”

Given he turns 21 on October 16, we might suggest the playoffs, again, as a starter
celebration. A dandy combined birthday present for him and going-away present for
manager
Davey Johnson (who said this is his last year in the majors) might be the supreme October delight:
the World Series.

For now, Harper can relish that he shares a meaningful distinction with his Nats teammate

Stephen Strasburg and the Redskins’
Robert Griffin III—according to the DC Sports Bog they are the only Washington athletes to make the
cover of SI in the past three years.