Bryce Harper’s Phillies debut includes Phanatic cleats, boos for strikeouts

Bryce Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for 13 years. Now that he has one game in the bag, he probably hoped for a better debut.

Met with cheers before the game and, briefly, some boos during it, Harper finished 0-for-3 with two strikeouts as the Phillies went on for a 10-4 opening day win Thursday over the Atlanta Braves.

Harper arrived at Citizens Bank Park wearing a T-shirt that paired the Phillie Phanatic with Flyers mascot Gritty in a parody of a scene from “Pulp Fiction.” The company that printed the shirt reportedly had its site crash from an overflow of traffic shortly after a photo of it hit the internet:

BIG MOOD @bryceharper3 pic.twitter.com/TbUSCciWmn

— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) March 28, 2019

It wasn’t the only Harper fashion choice of note Thursday. Then came the Phanatic cleats, in the same shade of green as the mascot’s fur and featuring its eyes on the heel:

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QUIZ: Can you match the nickname to the Major League Baseball player?

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Bryce Harper is 0-for-1 as a Phillie but on the other hand: pic.twitter.com/wO4TSvlr7Q

— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) March 28, 2019

Surely those apparel choices will go down in Philadelphia sports lore, the same as when he wore a District flag bandana and swung an American flag bat when he won the 2018 Home Run Derby at Nationals Park.

But Harper is still looking for his first hit in a Phillies uniform. After striking out for the second time Thursday, he experienced his first taste of the home crowd’s dissatisfaction.

Harper strikes out with Jean Segura on third.

Maybe a smattering of boos? Definitely heard a couple of them.

— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) March 28, 2019

Bryce Harper struck out a second time, and there were boos. Just sayin’. There were boos. #Phillies

— Mike Sielski (@MikeSielski) March 28, 2019

Harper wasn’t completely a non-factor. In his fourth plate appearance, he drew an intentional walk — only for Rhys Hoskins to pound his first career grand slam for to make the score 10-3 and ultimately put the game out of reach.

If you walk Bryce, you’re going to have to deal with Rhys.

Hoskins blasts his first career grand slam! pic.twitter.com/NmVbhtQT5i

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 28, 2019

Hoskins celebrated at home plate with the three runners he drove in, Harper, Jean Segura and Andrew McCutchen — each of them new to the Phillies this year.