"It was fun to be out there, get some dirt on my cleats, get in the batter's box and compete. That's what I love to do," Harper said. "I was able to see some pitches, take two swings early in the count, see some splits from a good pitcher, really happy where I was today."<doc-sep>After months of drama, followed by what felt like years of anticipation all packed into one week, Bryce Harper made his spring-training debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. [Batter up: Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today] It was a home run. No, Harper didn’t hit a home run. He actually walked twice, scoring on a Rhys Hoskins’ two-run blast in the first inning before being lifted for a pinch-runner in the third. It was a home run in that Harper made the best possible first impression on Phillies fans by selecting the perfect walkup song for his debut. Ladies and gentlemen, the new “Fresh Prince” has arrived. Bryce Harper made his Philadelphia Phillies debut during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Toronto Blue Jays. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) Even though the Phillies ultimately fell 8-7, that was a goose-bump moment that made the day a can’t lose for fans. Now just imagine if it had happened at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. “In West Philadelphia born and raised.” Not exactly. Harper, of course, is from Las Vegas. But the statement here was a clear one: Philadelphia is home now, and will be for the next 13 years. From there, who knows. Bryce Harper’s walk-up song: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air by Will Smith ... oddly enough it’s about a kid born and raised in West Philadelphia who moves to LA. Harper will have to wait at least 13 years for that to happen. #Phillies — sboeck (@scott_boeck) March 9, 2019 Saturday was a mere cameo for Harper in the grand scheme of things. He hit third and served as Philadelphia's designated hitter in his first action of the spring. That meant we didn't get to see much of him on the field. But the crowd was ready to erupt every time he popped out of the dugout. Whether it was a quick pregame warm up, or a short jaunt to the on-deck circle, the buzz continued to grow. When the music hit, it was electric. Holy crap, Bryce is actually on the Phillies pic.twitter.com/tEMFcUGTrU — Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) March 9, 2019 That’s the blend of sports and entertainment that baseball needs more of. Story continues That, my friends, is an epic debut. More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>Share this Story: BRENNAN: Jays use four outfielders vs. Harper in debut with Phillies — they could have used none BRENNAN: Jays use four outfielders vs. Harper in debut with Phillies — they could have used none Photo by Chris O'Meara / AP Article content CLEARWATER, Fla. — Bryce Harper’s highly anticipated debut with the Philadelphia Phillies was a rather disappointing walk in the park. Two of them, in fact. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or BRENNAN: Jays use four outfielders vs. Harper in debut with Phillies — they could have used none Back to video More befitting it would have been for the man holding the biggest contract in baseball — a 13-year deal that will pay him a mind-blowing $330 million — to connect on the first pitch he saw from Jays righty Matt Shoemaker. Harper swung like he wanted to break the ball. The 10,276 fans who showed up at beautiful Spectrum Field in Clearwater on Saturday held their breath. “In batting practice, I said if I could get a ball (on the) outer third (of the plate) and up in the zone with the wind blowing … I’m just going to try to do what I can with it,” Harper, who was the Phillies’ DH, said later. “I got the itch and kinda got excited about it a little bit.” Instead, he drew a base on balls and then another in his second at bat, and just like that he was down the tunnel and into the clubhouse, his work done for the day. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Harper will get Sunday off to catch his breath before playing right field — and getting two more at bats — in Monday’s game against Tampa Bay. “It was just fun to be out there with the guys, being in front of the fan base,” said Harper. “Get some dirt on my cleats and get in the batter’s box again. Compete. That’s something I love to do and that’s what it’s all about. Just excited to get back out there and get back to playing baseball.” Not impressing him was the shift Jays manager Charlie Montoyo implemented, just as he said he would, for Harper’s at bats. Third baseman Eric Sogard left his post and moved to right, giving Toronto a four-outfielder alignment. “I got back to the dugout and talked to Larry Bowa about it,” Harper said, referring to the 73-year old former Phillie who now serves as senior adviser to the general manager. “I said, ‘You ever seen that Larry?’ And he goes, ‘Nope.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “I’ve never seen that. That was … intense.” And something the left handed slugger may see more of in the future. “Man, I hope not,” said Harper. “I don’t know. If they’re going to start playing ball like that … definitely different, for sure.” It bothered him less on this day than it would happening again when the games count. If nothing else, Harper, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Nationals and finally signed as a free agent with Philadelphia on March 1, needs to start tracking live pitching again. “I think it counts for everything,” he said of the first on-field step in preparation for the season. “The heartbeat. The mentality up there, just competing and things like that. I was able to see some pitches and take two swings, early in the count, see some splits from Shoe, and sliders as well. Good big league pitcher to be able to face out there in my first start as a Phillie. I’m excited to get back out there.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Shoemaker enjoyed the extra focus on a spring training game, if not so much his performance. During his three innings of work, he gave up two hits (both of which were homers), three earned runs and four walks while striking out four. In three starts, he has a 7.04 ERA. “I’m trying to get ready for the season, so I’m using everything, every pitch,” said Shoemaker. “I really was battling my fastball mechanically, just flying open a lot. Just kind of making my fastball all over the zone. I really wasn’t hitting (catcher Luke) Maile’s glove on the fastballs that well.” Disappointingly for the big crowd, he couldn’t hit Harper’s bat, either. HARPING ABOUT THIS, THAT: On the welcoming ovation he received from the crowd, Harper said: “It was awesome, because I got up there and (a teammate) goes, “Weren’t those people just booing you a couple of years back?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ The ovation they gave me, I’m very humbled, very blessed to be able to get out there and play in front of a fan base like that.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content On wearing a Phillies uniform for the first time, Harper joked: “Everybody said the pinstripes are slimming, so I’ll take that.” On having the Fresh Prince (Will Smith was from West Philly in the TV show) of Bel Air as his walkup song, Harper said: “I thought it would be fun for spring training.” IF THE SHOE FITS: After Rhys Hoskins took Shoemaker over the tiki bar outside the left-field fence in his first at bat, the two had words during their next showdown. Hoskins didn’t like that he was being pitched a little too inside. “I’m competing, he’s competing,” said Shoemaker. “I was telling guys in here, if he didn’t hit the homer the first at bat, I don’t think it would have ever been an issue. As a hitter, they might be thinking, ‘Oh, you’re going to keep pounding me inside,’ and then I run one up and in, and he thinks you might be trying to hit him.<doc-sep>It was all good vibes for Bryce Harper and his new fans on Saturday in Clearwater, Florida, before the madness truly begins. (Getty) CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Bryce Harper soft open began with a headband and a bowl of oatmeal at a community table, as would any new era worth its intoxication. It concluded with the second of two walks in two plate appearances, boos for the pitcher who missed the zone eight times, a ceremonial departure from first base in the third inning and finally an escort from the field. In between, introduced to the locals and snowbirds as their full-maned and for-now designated hitter, Harper strode to the plate to the theme from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” which references West Philadelphia, this being the story of how his life got flip-turned upside down. When Rhys Hoskins followed in the first inning with a home run, Harper waited at the plate and held out his helmet, which Hoskins clanked with his fist. See, these are the things you work out in March. If Philly is your thing, your vibe, your attitude, then this was the place to nurse your PBRs on a Saturday afternoon, except nobody was mad and throwing stuff. Yet. The man in the green shirt at the front gate predicted, “It’s going to be a beautiful day!” with the vigor of the Devil’s Pocket jamoke who clips, “One whiz with!” Inside, along a chain-link fence, the father of a young boy thanked “Mr. Middleton” for his autograph and was told, “It’s John. Mr. Middleton’s my father.” John’s shirt and belt were decorated with Phillies logos. In the third-base dugout, Brian Dawkins, Weapon X from the Eagles, tested the mettle of an XXL T-shirt when he turned and said, “This is a time that I believe the city of Philadelphia should be extremely proud of. … There’s a lot to be excited about.” Then the folks stuffed Spectrum Field and honored Middleton’s money and what these Phillies could be, from the embers of the teardown to the bombed-out September of 2018 to the grand expectations of 2019. The centerpiece, of course, is Harper and the conversation over what $330 million will buy you these days and whether the pitching will hold up and what sort of fight they’ll have on their hands in the NL East. Most of that will have to wait a few weeks at least, and in the meantime Harper had a chance to see if the pants were tailored right, if the shirt had room in the shoulders, if the cap didn’t seem to sit a bit too high. Story continues “Feels great,” Harper said. “I walked in and everybody said the pinstripes are slimming. I’ll take that. “When you put ‘Phillies’ across your chest it really means something to these people.” Bryce Harper walked twice and scored a run in his spring training debut with the Phillies. (Getty) It’s what a casual introduction looks and sounds like, the formal event coming in Philadelphia on March 28 at Citizens Bank Park against the Atlanta Braves, the drama coming four days later in Washington D.C. For now Harper would say the past week was, “A lot better than the week before that,” when he was sorting through offers long and short, rich and slightly less rich, from near and far, and spring training had started without him. He chose Philadelphia for the next 13 years. Saturday, with his cheeks streaked in black and his bat cocked to his ear and Philadelphians standing and cheering nothing more than his presence, his preference for them and their city and their team, counted in many ways as day one of those 13 years. “It was just fun to be out there with the guys, be in front of the fan base, get some dirt on my cleats and be in the batter’s box again and compete,” he said. “Puts everything behind me and I’m just able to go out there and be Bryce and play the game that I love.” Then, on the very first pitch he got from Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Matt Shoemaker, he swung as hard as he could. And missed. The crowd, which had gone respectfully (and weirdly) silent during Shoemaker’s delivery, gasped. “Uh, you know in BP today I said if I could get a ball outer third up in the zone with the wind blowing, I’m just gonna try to do what I can with it,” Harper said with a slight grin. “I got the pitch and kinda got excited a little bit. Drew the walk and saw some pitches and I felt good. Didn’t get out too far or back too far or anything like that – sorry, swing talk – just really happy with where I was today.” The manager, Gabe Kapler, crossed his arms and said, “Certainly didn’t look like his timing or his rhythm was off. Looked like Bryce Harper in a Nationals uniform from last year.” Before the flip-turned upside down. Before it was to all start again. Before Philly learns what it’s really going to be. More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Bryce Harper drew big cheers, a pair of walks and an unusual defence in his spring training debut for the Philadelphia Phillies. Both times the slugger with the biggest contract in baseball came to the plate, the Toronto Blue Jays shifted to a four-man outfield, moved the shortstop on the other side of second base and gave the left-handed hitting Harper a wide-open left side of the infield. "I've never seen that. That's intense," Harper said, adding he hopes teams don't do that to him often. "If they start playing ball like that, it's definitely different." Phillies manager Gabe Kapler didn't want to discuss shift strategy but shared his advice for Harper. "Hit a lot of homers, drive the ball like you're capable of, do exactly what you always do, be Bryce Harper," said Kapler, who is known for using many shifts. The Cubs, Astros and even the Rockies have employed a four-man outfield but it was quite strange in an exhibition game. No surprise, however, was the loud ovation fans gave Harper when he walked up to the plate to Will Smith's theme song from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." Wearing No. 3 on his uniform, eye black under his eyes and a white armband with "HEART" written in red letters around it, Harper dug into the batter's box as "In West Philadelphia born and raised..." blared from the stadium's speakers. "The ovation they gave me, I'm very humbled, very blessed to be able to get out there and play in front of a fan base like that," Harper said, adding he'll probably use a different walk-up song once the season starts. "Selling out a spring training game is pretty incredible to see. Just goes to show how great a fan base Philly is." Batting third as the designated hitter, Harper didn't go deep but jogged around the bases after Rhys Hoskins blasted a two-run homer off Jays right-hander Matt Shoemaker on the first pitch following the first walk in the first. "Rhys is a special player," Harper said. "Nice to see him jump on the first pitch and go deep. Having Rhys hit behind me, I'm very excited about it." Harper took a mighty swing and missed on the first pitch he saw and fouled off the first pitch he faced in the third. He looked at eight balls outside the strike zone, including a few close ones. Though he is known for hitting home runs, Harper also is a patient hitter who knows how to work the count. He has a .388 career on-base percentage and had a career-best 130 walks last season. "It was fun to be out there, get some dirt on my cleats, get in the batter's box and compete. That's what I love to do," Harper said. "I was able to see some pitches, take two swings early in the count, see some splits from a good pitcher, really happy where I was today." Kapler was impressed. "That's who Bryce Harper is," the second-year manager said. "He took some strong cuts and the balls he was taking, he was comfortable taking them. It certainly didn't look like his timing or rhythm was off. Looked like Bryce Harper as we saw him in a Nationals uniform last year and he looks much better in a Phillies uniform." The six-time All-Star outfielder signed a $330 million, 13-year contract last week, surpassing the $325 million deal the Miami Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton in 2014. Phillies fans have embraced the superstar since his arrival. Fanatics said Harper's No. 3 Phillies jersey was the all-time bestseller for any athlete during the first 24 hours of launch. The team store quickly store ran out of letters and didn't have any more R's for adult jerseys in the first week. More than 340,000 tickets were sold within a week. The 26-year-old Harper played his first seven seasons in Washington. He joked about the red Phillies pinstripes making him look slimmer. "When you put Phillies across your chest, it means something to these people," Harper said. "I'm excited about that. I'm very excited to be part of something bigger than myself." NFL Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins, a Philadelphia Eagles legend, gave the Phillies an inspirational speech in the clubhouse before the game and got the fans even more fired up when he welcomed the team onto the field. Dawkins may be the most beloved athlete in Philly sports history.