WASHINGTON – From a dusty Ballfield to Las Vegas with no one around a finely manicured mound in a major stadium With over 43,000 screaming fans in the league, baseball has always been a father-son game for Bryce Harper.

In his last career, Harper was there taking blows against his father at the All-Star Home Run Derby.

In his last part of the evening, Harper sent a ball to the right field seats and he raised his hands to the sky.

"I think it's just another springboard from what we've been doing together all my life," said Harper about this latest blast, in front of his fans at Nationals Park, who l? propelled to Derby. title on Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs.

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With his father Ron on the mound, Harper showed a flair for the drama that looked like something straight out of the box. a backyard game.

knows that this victory came in a frivolous exhibition, but it was a remarkable moment in what could be his last year as a National.

This year has been marked by struggles both in the overall team – Nats favorites are 5 1/2 in first division in the National League East – and individually, while Harper matched 23 homers with a .214 batting average.

And this Derby victory was partly an emotional bailout for a slugger who hid behind Stoicism as he sailed his last season before the free agency. "I do not think you can exaggerate that," said Sean Doolittle of the pressures Harper has faced. "I do not know if there was a monkey on the back, but it was definitely on his schedule, he definitely won."

And the relief was palpable afterwards. Harper's voice was broken several times during his postgame press conference, sitting alongside Ron.

"I am very serious on the pitch I am a very serious player I enjoy the game." I want to win every game I play. I want to help this team win every day.

"But off the field, it's that kid you saw tonight."

Schwarber set the bar high by hitting 18 home runs and setting the pace. In the spirit of Schwarber, it was not so dramatic: Harper was going to bring him back.

"As soon as I had finished this tour, I knew he was there," Schwarber said. . "I knew that he had the crowd behind him, he is a very prolific power hitter with a great swing, so that he could come in and do that, and that he would start to do that. approaching the wire and that he begins to undo them one at a time, you simply accept your fate there. "

Sporting a starry bandanna and a special cherry blossom bat, the The local hero made a notable entrance to Journey's "Do not Stop Believin" as the 43,698 spectators chanted "Let's Go Harper!"

. His first home pbad – and was halfway to Schwarber's total when he called his last timeout with 80 seconds left.

"I just knew that if we had a bit of roll he could win," Ron said. "I knew that he could hit 20, 25 if we had to and we would have more time."

After receiving some encouragement from Doolittle, Harper made eight consecutive changes in the final minute. – With the last, No. 18, pulling him even with Schwarber while the clock was missing.

"He flipped a switch," said Doolittle. "It could be said that he was getting tired, and he went elsewhere." It was incredible. "

After 30 more seconds for accumulating several circuits at the top of the 440-foot bar, Harper needed only two strokes to break the tie and win the title

While he was mulling over the triumph, Harper dedicated the victory not only to his family, but also to the stadium workers and the staff of the team he has been there since 39, he reached the majors in 2012.

"I have been here since I was 17 years old. I grew up in front of these fans, "he said." Everyone who has a job here. This is the security guard in front. The guy who works on the parking lot.

"These are the relationships you love, these are the things you see every day, these are the things that it is about."

The parlor game to guess the destination of Harper does can not be helped by his sentimental comments – is it a goodbye, or a welcome return? – But fans of Nats and he can rejoice in his triumph – and the good vibrations that it can engender.

"Yeah, it's a silly competition, but in the end, it could be something that really starts, man," said Doolittle. "Everyone is aware of the season, not just for him, but for our team, so that the local crowd has something to cheer for, to gather, one of the faces of our team, our sport, was really cool. "