HOUSTON — As the Washington Nationals attempted to force a Game 7 of the World Series, one of the franchise's most famous players was paying attention.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday night, Bryce Harper weighed in on the controversial top of the seventh inning call that saw Trea Turner ruled out due to base-runner interference and Nationals manager Dave Martinez ultimately ejected.
Referencing Barstool Sports' "Rough 'N Rowdy" celebrity boxing series, Harper suggested that Martinez -- who he played for last season -- take on the umpires, who have found themselves the subject of no shortage of criticism over the course of the World Series.
Selected by the Nationals with the No. 1 pick of the 2010 MLB Draft, Harper spent the first seven years of his Major League career in Washington, where he was named the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year, a 6-time All-Star and the 2015 N.L. MVP. Earlier this year, however, the 27-year-old's Nationals tenure came to an end when he agreed to a 13-year, $330 million free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
But while Harper has spent this postseason watching from his couch, he has insisted he has no bitter feelings toward his previous team.
“I’ve been watching a lot of it,” Harper told Jayson Stark of The Athletic earlier this month. “Those are the guys I played with and came through the organization with … I wish them nothing but the best. And that’s real. I have no hard feelings toward them, or Mike Rizzo, or anything like that. You know, they’re a great team. And that’s why they are where they are.”
