Bryce Harper snaps another selfie with fans before game

By Jason Rowan

Bryce Harper made a lot of whimsical news earlier this season when he snapped a pregame selfie before a ballgame. It looks like the Washington Nationals superstar is back at it with his harmless and humorous before-the-game hijinks.

Before Harper and company went out and beat the Atlanta Braves by a score of 6-1 on Tuesday night at Turner Field, Harper strolled over to the stands where a group of Nationals fans were seated. The superstar grabbed one of the fan’s phones and snapped a a pretty well-executed group photo of himself and his admirers.

Harper evidently — albeit not surprisingly — made quite an impact on the young fan whose phone he commandeered. Going by the handle of @callie.smithh on Instagram, the fan (middle, directly behind Harper) posted the message, “IN LOVE W/ BRYCE…,” before adding in the comments, “THIS JUST HAPPENED.”

Indeed.

Displays of casual geniality like Harper's gesture go a long way in endearing a player to fans. An act that takes them less than a minute creates memories that last a lot longer than that for the people who experience their brief brush with greatness.

Harper acknowledged how it can be fun for the player as well when asked about his first go-round with pregame selfies.

It was pretty good,” Harper said in June. “Just messing around a little bit with the fans. Enjoying it with them a little bit. It’s always fun.”

Harper obviously is one of the most compelling personalities in baseball, and the fact that he is finally realizing his seemingly limitless potential this season only makes him that much more interesting.

It should, then, come as no surprise that on occasion he can dominate the whimsical sports news cycle with two separate but equally fascinating stories. The past few days provide ample evidence, as he also is making waves with his comments about appearing in the upcoming edition of the annual “Body Issue.”

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