Bryce Harper has worn number 34 since breaking into the big leagues with the Nationals in 2012, but the new face of the Philadelphia Phillies was introduced in Florida Saturday wearing No. 3 for the first time.
No player on the Phillies currently wears No. 34 and it isn’t a retired number in the city, but Harper decided to switch to a new number of out respect for late pitching legend Roy Halladay, who is a member of the 2019 Hall of Fame class.
Halladay wore No. 34 for four seasons in Philadelphia, after switching from No. 32 when he arrived from Toronto. The Phillies retired No. 32, Steve Carlton’s number, in 1989. The Blue Jays retired Halladay’s No. 32 in 2018.
The number has been worn by several Phillies since Halladay retired from the game, most recently Andrew Knapp in 2017, but Harper believes the number belongs to Halladay in Philly.
“I thought Roy Halladay should be the last one to wear it. He’s somebody in this game that’s greater than a lot of guys who ever played it. A Hall of Famer. Somebody who played the game the right way, was a great person, and was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met…. For me, it’s Roy Halladay.”
