2011 Bowman Chrome Superfractor Bryce Harper ROOKIE AUTO 1/1 #BCP111 BGS 9.5 GEM

Year after year, Bryce Harper’s biggest baseball wish never came true, and he was left blowing out his birthday candles, hoping the next year would be the year. Harper must have wished extra hard last year because, for the first time in his career, he played baseball past his October 16 birthday after his Phillies upset the defending champion Braves in the 2022 National League Divisional Series. “Really, all year he’s said it,” said Phillies teammate Rhys Hoskins. “He’s been talking about wanting to play on his birthday. And here we are.” There was no game on his actual birthday—his 30th—but after getting knocked out in the first round of his four previous postseason appearances, Harper did not have time to pick nits. He finally had his chance to play for a National League championship. Harper was tremendous in the Divisional Series, hitting .500 over four games, tagging three doubles and a pair of home runs among his eight hits in the 3-1 series victory over the Braves. Philadelphia, eight games under .500 at the end of May, swelled late in the season to land one of the NL’s wild card spots. The Phillies had little trouble sweeping the Cardinals in the best-of-three first round—Harper’s solo home run was a significant factor in the decisive 2-0 victory in Game 2. “He wants to win,” said Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, who signed with Philadelphia the same year as Harper. “There’s one thing on that guy’s mind at all times, and it’s winning a baseball game that day. All he cares about is winning. You hear him talk. You see the actions on the field, and it’s real. If he goes 0-for-4, it doesn’t matter to him. If the team wins—that’s all that matters.” It has been that way for quite some time. Harper was dubbed the most exciting prodigy since LeBron James when he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2009, and he was the clear-cut choice as the No. 1 pick in the following summer’s MLB draft. The Washington Nationals fast-tracked him to the big leagues, and he has been a fixture in the majors ever since, winning Rookie of the Year honors and two MVPs, and making seven All-Star teams. Harper had several Team USA cards on the market before debuting professionally, but collectors were hungry to chase the first cards to feature Harper with the Nationals. That was especially the case for his Bowman Chrome Rookie Autos, and the best of the bunch makes an appearance in this month’s Premier Auction. Any collector who has been wishing for Harper’s 2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects 1/1 Superfractor Rookie Auto now has their chance to acquire it. The card was assessed as a BGS 9.5, and Harper’s hard-signed signature was awarded the Auto 10 distinction, adding extra intrigue to this one-of-a-kind offering. All that is left is to find out which collector will have their cake and eat it, too.