Harper to the Yankees?
Posted by Daniel Biancullo

After his performance Tuesday in his first game at Yankee Stadium, Yankee fans would love to see Bryce Harper fulfill his childhood dream and don pinstripes one day.

Before his MLB career began, Harper stated that his eventual goal was to play for the New York Yankees, a team he adored growing up.
                  
"I'm excited," Harper said before playing his first major-league game at Yankee Stadium. "… Being able to come back, and especially facing [Masahiro] Tanaka tonight. We're excited as a team and looking forward to it and ready for the task."
Harper didn't disappoint in the personal monumental game, going 2 for 4 at the plate with a solo home run that accounted for the Nationals' only run in a 6-1 loss.
The questions arise. Now that the 22-year-old has marked his territory at Yankee Stadium, does he still have an underlying desire to become a Yankee down the line?
He answered such questions tactfully before Tuesday's game.
"I love the Nationals," Harper said. "I enjoy the fans that support me in right field every single day. I love running out there and seeing them out there. The Nats are such a great organization. Mr. Ted Lerner gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. It's such a fun time. We have such a great team here. We enjoy it every single day. We look at every single day as a new day and go in and have the same mentality and try to play every single day. D.C. is such a great place to play."
That answer will keep both fan bases intrigued to see how things play out.
Yankee fans will note his avoidance of explicitly denying his desire to play for the Yankees, and Nationals fans will relish his complimentary words as proof that he'll remain a Nat for years to come.
When asked the question about his potential future with the Yankees with different wording, his answer remained the same.
"Like I said, I enjoy playing for the Nationals," said Harper, who is runner-up to Giancarlo Stanton for the MLB home run lead with 20 homers now. "I enjoy going out there every single day. Our goal in the organization is to win a World Series. If I can bring that back to D.C. and bring that back to the city, that's what I want to do. I've said it a long, long time that's something I want to do and that's my goal every single day."
(h/t Washington Post)

Photo credit: Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports