Bryce Harper spends day with firefighters in Nevada
In an interview back in 2012, Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper made it clear that if the whole baseball thing didn’t work out for him, he had his back up plan already figured out.
He wanted to be a firefighter.
“I’d probably be a firefighter. Ever since I was growing up, I wanted to be a firefighter or a baseball player. Going into the offseason, I’m going to get my EMT and do the firefighting thing so I have something to fall back on.”
Two years later, it’s safe to say the baseball thing is working out well enough that Harper will remain employed and earn absurd amounts of money for the next two decades. Still, that doesn’t mean Harper doesn’t occasionally think about what life might be as a firefighter. And when given a chance to experience just a taste of that life, he certainly isn’t going to turn it down.
Such an opportunity came on Thursday. Bryce and his brother Bryan Harper spent the day at Fire Station 82 in Henderson, Nev, which serves as a training ground for both aspiring and seasoned firefighters.
The photo caption Harper included read:
“Want to say thank you to the fellas at City Of Henderson #varsity82bravo Fire Department for having me and @bryanharper45 out yesterday..It was an absolute blast with some great people! #NVFire”
It’s not clear if Harper went through actual training drills or just spent the day hanging out. Either way, it’s safe to say everybody involved enjoyed a memorable experience. For Harper, it was a chance to be on the playing field with current and future heroes in another profession he’s passionate about.
Also, It looks like he got a fireman suit to go along with the custom fire helmet given to him by Washington DC Fire Department prior to the Nationals division championship celebration.
For the firefighters at Station 82, it was a chance to hang out with a baseball superstar from nearby Las Vegas.
We’re not sure which side was more excited. But we do know that everybody went home happy.
BLS H/N: Cut 4
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
