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Bryce Harper will play for Team USA for the first time since 2009 in the World Baseball Classic, and he is very much “looking forward” to the opportunity.
But before the two-time MVP talked about the WBC during a recent appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys,” Harper and the hosts, former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, discussed recent comments by some American Olympians about how it has felt indifferent to represent the Stars and Stripes on the grand scale.
“That’s crazy,” Harper said simply.
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Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies bats in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on April 14, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies first baseman said that no matter where one may stand politically, it is always the greatest honor to represent the United States.
“Obviously there’s things that are going on in the country that, you know, aren’t good or people don’t believe in or whatever, right? Politics aside, for me, when you’re going and representing your country, you’re representing your country, man. Like, block all that out. It’s sports.
“We want to put something on the TV that is happy and good and just great for everybody to watch, right? So representing your country, there’s nothing greater than representing your country. There’s really nothing at all.”
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a grand slam during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Citizens Bank Park on June 5, 2022, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
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Freeskier Hunter Hess said he had “mixed emotions” representing the U.S. in Milan, while skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she wanted to represent her own “values,” and it was “tough to reconcile” violence in America while “competing for medals at an Olympic event.”
In an interview with Digital months before the 2024 Summer Olympics, Noah Lyles said representing the U.S. was “bittersweet” and came with a “heavy heart,” saying Black people in America have “a lot to deal with.”
Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper celebrates his two-run home run during the first inning in Game 3 of baseball’s World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Harper was going to play in the 2023 WBC but was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. This year, he joins a stacked roster alongside Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Cal Raleigh.
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