For Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper, breaking out of his early-season slump had an almost Samson-in-reverse feel to it.
In the Bible, Samson was a legendary warrior known for his incredible strength, which came from his long hair – symbol of a sacred vow to God. As long as Samson kept his hair uncut, he was unbeatable, tearing apart lions and defeating armies.
But after Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, she betrayed him by cutting his hair while he slept, and with it, his strength vanished. Samson was captured and humiliated by his enemies, but God granted Samson one final act of redemption and sacrifice, allowing him to regain his power and use it to bring down a Philistine temple.
While not quite so dramatic, Harper’s resurgence did coincide with the same thing that caused Samson to lose his strength: a haircut.
Bryce Harper Goes On Offensive Tear After Getting a Buzzcut
As noted in a post on MLB’s Instagram page, Harper, who had been sporting some rather lengthy locks this season, was batting .237 after going 0-for-3 in Philadelphia’s 3-0 win over Cleveland on May 11. The 32-year-old, two-time NL MVP decided to get a buzzcut, and although he again went 0-for-3 on May 12 to fall to .232, in his next 11 games, Harper had 18 hits in 43 at bats (.419), raising his overall slash line to .273/.379/.460.
“Add shaving your head to the list of baseball superstitions,” the post stated.
Over those 11 games, Harper was held hitless just twice, while he enjoyed seven multi-hit games. Harper also added his eighth home run of the season along with five doubles, and he got 11 RBIs, bringing his season total to 33.
“It’s like the flip of a switch with him,” said Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott. “It’s just one ball off the end of the bat or a swinging bunt or something that gets him locked in, and then he starts hitting the barrel every time, it feels like. He’s looked good this week, for sure.”
Bryce Harper Not Satisfied With Individual Results But ‘So Happy’ With Team
Like any perennial All-Star, Harper is never satisfied with his results.
“I’m not where I want to be,” he said. “But it’s part of it, and just got to keep grinding. I’m doing it every day. I’m down there, trying to feel good and feel good during the game.”
But he is pretty happy about what the team has done this season. At 34-19 despite a 5-4 loss to the Athletics on Sunday, the Phillies have the best record in the league and sit 2.5 games ahead of the New York Mets for first place in the NL East.
“I’ll tell you what, man, I’m so happy we’re winning,” Harper said earlier in the month. “Obviously, it’s been a grind. Day in and day out, I’m working, trying everything I can to have a better approach, see pitches in the zone and not chase the ones out of the zone. But all in all, I’m excited we’re winning, my team has my back. It’s been a grind. But it’s a long season, you play a season for a reason.”
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