Bryce Harper: Nationals Phenom Plays Softball at Washington Monument

While watching Bryce Harper in his major-league debut on Saturday night, it was easy to forget that he’s still a kid—well, except for the whole haircut thing.

He worked counts, took pitches with confidence and still showed his bat speed. He hustled on the base paths, treating every play like it was the final out of the World Series. Oh yeah, and I guess his arm isn't too shabby.

Now an inhabitant of Washington, D.C., Harper spent his first off day as a major leaguer exploring his new surroundings, which apparently included playing softball with local kids in front of the Washington Monument, according to TheNatsEnquirer.com.

If this were any other player, it would seem weird, or possibly even a Canseco-esque thing to do. But the fact that it’s 19-year-old Bryce Harper doing it—mere days after capturing the nation’s attention, nonetheless—it just seems normal.

Now, I don’t know the story behind this video, so I have no idea whether it is a charity event or some sort of welcome party. Honestly, I’d rather stick to the image of Harper—with a freshly gelled Mohawk, obviously—strolling up to the field with his own aluminum bat.

Suddenly, Harper is launching tape-measure home runs as a crowd that formed around him continually gasps in astonishment. 

Next time, however, I'd like to hear Harper yelling, “Fifty bucks I can hit it over the highway!”

Follow @GoldenSombrero