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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Bryce Harper knows how to stage a show. The man he plays on the job site is a timely reminder of why Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton was so eager to open his checkbook to spend $ 330 million on his budget. "Stupid" money. It does not turn out so stupid after all.
Harper quickly changed the story in recent weeks: his fans shouted about his batting average on sports radio to The One, where Bryce Harper is worth $ 330 million. It's curious how much anecdotes can change over a long season of 162 games.
The Phillies returned from the West last week, beaten on the ground with little hope of ending the fifth-longest drought in the playoffs at baseball. The offense, since the All-Star Game, had been one of the worst in the MLB, associated with incoherent pitching and an injury-ravaged enclosure.
Then on Tuesday, when the Phillies' reception sent a message to a fan base saying it would not give up the task this season – another story that was coming up – when GM Matt Klentak fired the coach John Mallee and hired the legend of the franchise Charlie Manuel.
(Photo credit: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
The Phillies' offense looked good in the season after Manuel's first three games – 26 points, 35 hits and seven homers – but the inconsistency went to the Padres. The Phils scored just five points in the last two games of a series of brutal defeats against San Diego.
Even though the honeymoon period with Manuel may be over, Harper's rise is real. But that was true even before the Phillies sacked Mallee.
Harper had been the only reason to keep his eyes on the Phillies since the break. Since the calendar rolled over in August, Harper's critics have become a fixture.
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The Phillies leave for Boston still in the heat for the playoffs. The brief explosion of the offensive indicated that this team could run well, and it still can. The weekend was bad, but they stay on the hunt.
If they run, it will be behind the bats. This training, on paper, is too talented to have struggled as she has been.
After beating the score 0-4 with two strikeouts on Tuesday, Harper staged a performance that was well worth the cost of admission. In Manuel's first three games, Harper scored six goals in twelve, with four homers, 10 RBIs and an impressive 2,071 OPS.
He executed a 95-mph cutter from Cubs left-hander Derek Holland for a grand slam that swept the net on Thursday night after a multi-player game. He continued his exploits with an opposite circuit Friday against San Diego.
I can not stop watching …#Sound the bell pic.twitter.com/hhfwDxJ6LD
– Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 16, 2019
Harper threw the Phillies on his back in August. Let's take a look at the numbers to see how hot the Phillies' $ 330 million has been.
- In the first 15 games of August, Harper averaged .271 with 8 homers, 18 RBIs and 1,064 OPS.
- Compared to the first 15 games of Ryan Howard in his memorable August 2006:
- Howard, 2006: .377, 6 home runs, 19 RBI, 1,198 OPS
- Harper led in 18 of the team's 84 races in August – 21.4%.
- In his last 30 games, he has collected 10 home runs and 28 RBIs with a .997 record.
None of this should be too much of a surprise as it usually rakes in August.
During his 2015 season, Harper beat .327 / .460 / .449 with a .909 OPS in partnership with two homers and nine RBIs in August. Then, in 2016, he hit 0.31 / 0.38 / 0.336 with a 0.934 OPS in partnership with three circuits and 19 RBIs in August. During his career, he hit .291 with 37 homers and 118 RBIs per month.
One of the legitimate reproaches on Harper's first season in Philadelphia before the All-Star break was his power generation.
He had only 16 homers in the first 90 games, which was just not enough for a player who was supposed to see his dinger out on a pitch that was good for the batters.
WATCH OUT: Bryce Harper challenges her parents for a grand slam without an appointment
Harper, however, has regained his power in the second half with 10 long balls in 33 games and is about to break his 100-point total, the highest of his career.
At this rate, Harper should have 34 home runs and 118 RBIs.
Whether or not he finishes the season with these numbers – with the exception of his injury – he will easily reach a career high in RBI because he's already 90 with 38 games to come.
He is only the Phillies' second left-handed hitter with 90 RBIs in a season since 2010, joining Howard.
Harper also dispelled the idea that it was a defensive responsibility that sometimes did not embarrass himself enough. He played much more than a usable defense in the right field and has already matched his production of field assistants for the field last season with nine.
The Phillies have recruited Harper to be the face of the franchise, to provide the power that this lineup has not had since the glory days, to become Bryce Harper.
Harper has held his share of the market.
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