Bryce Harper Pays Homage to Mike Schmidt on the Phillies' 2022 Media Guide Cover

This is cool:

Here is the 2022 #Phillies Media Guide cover featuring 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper paying homage to 1986 NL MVP Mike Schmidt who was featured on the cover of the 1987 Phillies Media Guide. pic.twitter.com/lO99HNz6RU

— PhilliesNotes (@PhilliesNotes) March 31, 2022

This is not Bryce pandering. This is paying homage. It’s a throwback tribute that shows respect to one of the greatest to ever wear the uniform.

In Bryce’s photo, you see the 2021 MVP Award, the Silver Slugger, the NL Hank Aaron Award, and the All-MLB trophy. Schmidt’s 1987 photo shows the MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove.

Harper said this about the idea, via Todd Zolecki’s new “Phillies Beat” newsletter:

“Knowing how Schmitty is, knowing how he played, knowing how much the fans love him, I just thought it’d be cool,” Harper said this week. “Everybody in Philadelphia who loves baseball loves Mike Schmidt. I think some things in the game are forgotten and he’s a player who shouldn’t be. So, we just ordered a tux. I got the cummerbund. I’ve never worn a cummerbund before. I never went to the prom or anything. But I just thought it was cool to reminisce on the old and think about the new, as well.”

Dig it. Go Phils.