Bryce Harper clowns himself after huge game

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper had a good laugh at his own expense in an interview after Tuesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Harper was probably in a good mood when the interview took place. The Phillies cruised to a 9-4 victory over the Reds. He was a big part of that, as he slugged three home runs — including a grand slam. But while Harper’s bat was exceptional, his inexperience in the field at first base was apparent late in the game.

With one out in the eighth inning, Cincinnati’s Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a grounder to second base. Bryson Stott fielded the ball and threw to Harper at first, easily retiring Encarnacion-Strand. Harper, after catching the ball, threw it around the horn. The problem? There was a runner on base.

John Kruk, calling the game for NBC Sports Philadelphia, got a kick out of the mistake. Fortunately for Harper, as Kruk noted, shortstop Trea Turner was paying attention and caught the ball. So, Harper’s mistake didn’t end up being costly.

Still, after the game, Kruk, a longtime first baseman, couldn’t help but jab Harper.

“The one faux pas though, in the game today, was when you threw the ball around the horn with a runner on third,” Kruk said.

"You saw that, that's great. Oh, man. What am I doing over there?"

Bryce Harper's reaction to John Kruk calling him out for throwing the ball around the horn — with a runner on base. pic.twitter.com/afMjFKZI7n

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 3, 2024

Harper instantly began to laugh. “You saw that, that’s great. Oh, man. What am I doing over there?”

If you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

[Photo Credit: NBC Sports Philadelphia]