Ron Harper vowed to be ready.
In 2015, his son (and Nationals star), Bryce, mulled participating in the league’s Home Run Derby, but decided he didn’t want to do it without his dad throwing to him. At the time, Ron Harper was recovering from shoulder surgery.
After that, Bryce Harper made a decision: the next time he would enter the Home Run Derby would only be in 2018 — when Nationals Park hosted the event — and if his dad was healthy.
“He took a few years and that’s what he wanted to do,” Ron Harper said Monday, “and I said I’d be ready.”
The wait was worth it.
On Monday, Harper became the third player ever to win the Derby in his home ballpark — and he won it in dramatic fashion. Harper hit eight straight home runs and won 19-18 in a walk-off. With 90 seconds remaining, he was down 18-9.
“I’m so blessed to have the family I do,” Bryce Harper said. “The work ethic, that’s where I get it all from and very blessed and thankful for the family I do have and looking forward to just everything I can do with him and we can do for the next whatever many years.”
Bryce Harper, growing up in Las Vegas, recalled his dad waking up at 2 a.m. to leave for his construction job, finishing his shift at 2 p.m. and still having a ride home from school or practice. Ron Harper would be there, no matter the lack of sleep.
Ron Harper, though, enjoyed spending time with his son. Together, they would participate in batting practice — a tradition that holds up to this day. Last offseason, Bryce Harper said the two went to a high school, where he proceeded to hit 14 straight home runs. They mused about winning the Derby.
Monday wasn’t the first time the father-son combo participated in the event, either. In 2013, the Harpers fell short of winning at Citi Field in New York. Ron Harper took the blame, saying he threw a lot of bad pitches.
This year, Ron Harper still threw pitches into the dirt, but said he knew if they could get on a roll, they would be fine.
“I had a blast and I’m glad he barrelled up about eight in a row there,” Ron Harper said. “He saved me.”
During the Derby, Bryce Harper looked over and saw his mom and his wife with their heads in their hands, saying, ’Oh, man, oh man, oh man, oh man.’
He wasn’t worried.
“Looking out at my dad sitting there, one ball, one strike, one ball, one strike and bam, hit eight in a row,” he said. “And it was like, here we go, we’re rolling. … We’ve talked about that for a long time and we were able to do that tonight and get 18 with 30 seconds left.
“Wow, that was pretty awesome.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.