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While the Philadelphia Phillies were engaged in an intense series against the New York Yankees, superstar slugger Bryce Harper met with 14-year-old soccer prodigy Cavan Sullivan.
Cavan Sullivan made his Major League Soccer debut for the Philadelphia Union earlier this month, becoming the youngest player to debut across the top North American professional sports leagues.
Sullivan, accompanied by his brother to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, threw the first pitch ahead of the second game of the series between the Phillies and Yankees. He also met the All-Star first baseman and shared a heartfelt conversation with him.
"Congratulations man, don't forget about all of us when you go to Manchester City," Harper joked.
Cavan signed the largest homegrown contract in MLB history in May and has a clause in his contract that makes him eligible for a transfer to English Premier League giants Manchester City when he turns 18.
"But I also think the collaboration between the Union and the City Group was – I think that did it for me. I always watch Man City. They're like every kid's dream team," Sullivan said in May.
Sullivan was surprised when Harper acknowledged his soccer skills and revealed that his wife also played soccer for Ohio State during her college career. Sullivan then handed a Philadelphia Union jersey with Harper on its back to the two-time NL MVP.
Cavan's older brother, Quinn, is also a soccer player and is Cavan's teammate at Philadelphia Union.
Bryce Harper issues rallying cry amid Phillies' ongoing slump
Although the Phillies hold the best record in baseball this season, the team's form has nosedived over the last few weeks. Harper lamented about his lackluster showing since the All-Star break following the series loss against the Guardians on Sunday:
“Superstars got to show up,” Harper said. "Obviously myself, it just hasn’t been good. Any time I’m missing pitches over the zone, swinging at pitches out of the zone, just can’t do that.”
Despite Harper's words, the Phillies succumbed to yet another series loss, their fifth on the trot, after the Bronx Bombers edged them in a nail-biting contest on Tuesday.
