Bryce Harper trotted to home plate at Spectrum Field Saturday to a standing ovation as Chris Wheeler introduced him with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song blaring in sunny Clearwater, Florida.
The dream scenario, of course, would have been for Harper to beat a four-man outfield shift by depositing a ball into the heavily-crowded outfield grass just over the outfield wall.
Instead, though, Toronto Blue Jays starter Matt Shoemaker pitched around Harper, who walked on five pitches. The problem with that strategy is Rhys Hoskins, who has 40 home run power, was waiting behind Harper to clean things up:
Late in the 2018 season, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler tried a multitude of lineup combinations in an attempt to ignite a stagnant offense.