Bryce Harper won't be wearing No. 34. anymore.
CLOSE SportsPulse: It finally happened. Bryce Harper has landed in Philly. FTW's Ted Berg explains how Harper instantly makes them title contenders even in a loaded NL East. USA TODAY
"Of course I wore 34 , but I thought Roy Halladay should be the last one to wear it ," Harper told reporters at his introductory news conference on Saturday. "He's somebody in this game that, you know, is greater than a lot of guys who have 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, being able to play across from him in 2012. So, for me, it’s Roy Halladay. He’s No.
"Maikel Franco , he wore 7. And he’s a teammate of mine. I didn’t want to ask for the number," Harper explained. "I didn’t feel right doing that. I don’t know if that has any significance to him being No. 7, but I didn’t want to find out. He’s No. 7 on the Phillies and he should be able to wear that number every single day.
"No. 3, it’s kind of like a family number for us. My brother wore it in high school. My dad wore it in high school growing up," Harper said. "My mom wore 13. My wife isn’t very happy about the number because she likes even numbers, so looking down and seeing No. 3 is going to be a little tough for her. It’s pretty much a family number and it’s looks OK."
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