Bryce Harper talks about being a 94.1 WIP listener, chats with Chuck from Mount Airy

Chuck from Mount Airy called in during Bryce Harper's interview on WIP Thursday afternoon.

Bryce Harper and the Phillies will take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series beginning Friday night.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

Published Sept. 1, 2023, 9:08 a.m. ET

Chuck from Mount Airy, meet Bryce from South Philly.

During an interview Thursday on 94.1 WIP, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper got a surprise call from the man whose passionate support inspired a home run earlier this week.

But first, Chuck from Mount Airy asked Harper and WIP hosts Jon Marks and Ike Reese for a moment to trash a fellow caller who roots for the Cowboys. So it goes on Philly sports talk radio.

“Bryce, you listen to the show. Give me one second,” Chuck said before ripping someone who calls themselves Cowboys Jim.

Once that was out of the way, Chuck thanked Harper for giving him a shout-out following Tuesday’s win against the Los Angeles Angels.

“Thank you for letting me get on this boat you just created to ride this wave. It’s been a great last couple of days, and next to my kids being born, this has been the greatest moment of my life,” Chuck told Harper. “So I appreciate you, man, and I thank you for being a great Phillie, for coming on here listening to us, and shouting me out, out of the blue, for real.”

“I appreciate it, Chuck. We’re all a family,” Harper shot back. “You guys pull for us, we pull for everybody. I appreciate you so much and thanks for the words, thanks for being kind, and I really appreciate that. Thank you.”

Harper, who said he tunes into WIP when he drives from his South Jersey home to Citizens Bank Park, was listening Tuesday when Chuck offered his emphatic support for the Phillies star — which was, of course, preceded by a colorful rant about Cowboys fans.

“Bryce Harper might go down as the best Phillie ever,” Chuck said on Tuesday. “I don’t want to see nobody else win a ring that I want to see that guy win a ring.”

That fired up Harper enough to send a ball deep into the second deck in right field, which helped fuel a high-scoring 12-7 win against the Angels.

“He was talking about our team, talking about me and stuff, and I walked into the training room and was like, ‘I’m going to go deep tonight for Chuck,’” Harper told reporters after the game.

On Thursday, Marks joked about what Harper has unleashed, complaining that every caller now wants dedicated home runs and that Chuck has been a national story, appearing on TV and radio. Harper said he came close to calling into the show Tuesday when Chuck was on, but decided against it.

“I listen to you guys. Not every day, but as I do go to the ballpark there are days I’ll turn it on,” Harper said. “I just enjoy it — the good and the bad … to hear about what the Eagles are doing, or the Flyers or the Sixers, or what the fans are thinking. I like to consume myself with that so I can get the feel and the vibe of it.”

Harper is the rare sports superstar who even admits to listening to sports talk radio. Even rarer is the fact he doesn’t seem to mind getting ripped.

“That’s the way it is,” Harper said. “If you don’t like when people talk bad about you when you’re going through it, or people have opinions, then maybe sports aren’t for you.”

“And I laugh at all the fans that call in,” Harper added. “I think it’s hilarious, some of the takes they have, and all them going at Cowboys fans and going back and forth.”

The Phillies begin a three-game series against the Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Friday night, with Zack Wheeler scheduled to take the mound.

Only Friday’s game will be televised by NBC Sports Philadelphia — Fox is broadcasting Saturday night’s game, and Sunday’s finale will stream exclusively on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service. So don’t expect more John Kruk clairvoyance until next week.