Union phenom Cavan Sullivan gets seal of approval from Bryce Harper: ‘You’re legit, dude’
Sullivan met the Phillies slugger on Tuesday before the 14-year-old threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Cavan Sullivan has been checking items off his bucket list one by one in the last couple of weeks, and a conversation with Bryce Harper was the latest.
Thirteen days after becoming the youngest player in MLS history, Sullivan made an appearance at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Phillies’ game against the Yankees. That was a special moment for the 14-year-old Union midfielder, but it probably didn’t top his pregame meetup with Harper in the Phils’ clubhouse. The meetup had even some extra Philly flair — Harper was sporting a Dawn Staley Team USA T-shirt.
“Your foot skills are incredible, bro,” said Harper, who clearly has seen the Union wunderkind’s highlights. “You’re legit, dude.”
Harper’s wife, Kayla Varner, was a high school soccer All-American who later played at BYU and Ohio State. The knee-slide celebration Harper executed in June after homering in the London Series underscored his affection for the game.
“Don’t forget about all of us when you go to Manchester City,” the Phillies slugger joked, referencing the clause in Sullivan’s contract that will transfer him to the Premier League power when he turns 18.
“I won’t, I won’t,” Sullivan insisted, before gifting Harper a custom Union jersey with his signature No. 3 on the back.
Harper relates to Sullivan more than most, having risen to similar stardom at a young age. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 years old, made his major-league debut for the Washington Nationals at 19, and became the youngest MVP in National League history at 22 in 2015. It will be difficult for Sullivan to live up to the expectations like Harper did, but he’s taking the right approach.
“As you know, there’s a lot of work to do still,” Sullivan said to Harper. “The hype doesn’t really mean anything.”