Bryce Harper was named a Topps brand ambassador for the 65th anniversary baseball cards and will grace the Topps Box top for Series 1. Topps released this Tweet after Bryce completed his MLB Network Radio interview:
You can find @Bharper3407's card in 2016 Topps Baseball Series 1 pic.twitter.com/howAFTCAxN
— Topps Company (@toppscards) February 12, 2016
For anyone paying attention to baseball cards, Beckett Magazine had the “inside” last week with the Bryce card and others and rated the Top 10 cards: http://www.beckett.com/news/2016/02/top-10-photos-in-the-2016-topps-series-1-baseball-base-set/
Jim Menolo and Mike Stanton interviewed Bryce just after 8:19pm on MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM:
What pic will be on the cover of the Topps box, “Being on the 65th annual [box top] is pretty incredible. Growing up you dream of being on cereal boxes. Always dreamed of being on Topps cards. Being part of the Topps family. Great for kids. Great for families. Actually the [baseball card picture] they picked of me is incredible. The one they picked of me is unreal. Actually me sliding into homeplate dragging my hand across the plate. And then my hair. My helmet is off of course. My hair is flowing good. I never wear a helmet of course. I need a chin strap.”
What has this off-season been like? “I enjoy my family. Be around your dog. Be around your family.”
Are you surprised Desi is still on the market? “The guy is an absolute stud. Definitely rooting for him.”
“I’ve talked to [Dusty] a few times. We have such an All Star staff this year”
Here is the Dusty segment:
NL MVP Bryce Harper: "(Dusty Baker) has that enthusiasm, that demeanor you want your manager to have…" AUDIO: https://t.co/3iLv1bJYdZ
— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 12, 2016
[Bryce] stopped taking BP on the field, “It was more a feel thing knowing what I had to do in the cage each day. I will do the same thing this year. A couple more days before I leave…”
Harper: "I'm good in right field… I'll let Revere do everything he can to get the balls in the gap… I'm just going to stay in right."
— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 12, 2016
Do you want to play CF? “I’m good in rightfield. (laughs). I’ll let Revere do everything he can to get the balls in the gap…I’m just going to stay in right…I just want to hit. I just want to play.”
Menolo/Stanton asked Bryce, are you a video guy or are you a natural type hitter. See ball hit ball. Pay attention to all that. Try to keep your brain out of it and be a reactionary hitter,
“Yah, I don’t watch video. I don’t want to know what the speeds are. I don’t look at charts. Everything can change that night. They are always flipping the book trying to do something different. And what I want to know if fastball, curveball, changeup, slider, knuckleball something like it.. Try to see rotation and hit it. .I want to know what they are throwing. See rotation and hit it. Stay within myself. Stay as simple as I could. That’s what I needed to do. It’s the same game you played your whole life. It’s a feel game. Derek Jeter always used to say guys lose feel when you start looking at video….”
This was a good part of the interview
“I wanted to play this game. Have fun. Not take this game too seriously”.
Bryce said, “Very excited how I was able to stay healthy. Very excited to bring that award home back to DC”
Check out the 2016 Topps Baseball cover man with his new swag @bharper3407 pic.twitter.com/OJO2Lxk3cC
— Topps Company (@toppscards) February 12, 2016
Here is a picture of the Topps box top:
It’s clear Bryce is still an Under Armour athlete for cleats and baseball product. It’s unclear if it will include apparel.
Had such a great day with @UnderArmour talking about my upcoming 2016 cleats and baseball product! Be on the look out #UAfamily
— Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) February 12, 2016
The Bryce Harper store is gone on the Under Armour website and if you type in Bryce Harper in the search box, you get a maintenance page.
If you type “Bryce” you get this:
https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/search?q=bryce
