Do you remember what life was like as a Washington Nationals fan before 2012?
In case you forgot (or didn't like the team until they were perennial playoff contenders), the balance of power in the Nationals League East used to skew heavily towards Philadelphia.
With Bryce Harper added to a stacked Phillies lineup and accomplished rotation, there is a real fear that the power could shift back after a prolonged stay in Washington.
That shift could also mean that Phillies fans come out of hibernation. By the busload.
According to Scott Allen of The Washington Post, enterprising Philly fan Joe DiBiaggio has a block of 500+ tickets for April 2, the date that Harper returns to D.C. The impressive part is that he bought the tickets on a gamble, before the Phillies closed the deal on the former NL MVP.
By DiBiaggio is no novice to Philadelphia sports travel. He's been organizing trips like this for years, fronting the tickets, renting buses, and then selling the experience at a premium to other fans. He told Allen that his 500 seats are nearly sold out.
Remember when Eagles fans took over FedExField in Week 17 last year? DiBiaggio was partially to blame.
Remember when Philly fans swarmed Nats Park in 2010 for the Phillies debut of Roy Halladay? DiBiaggio again.
In fact, he has made a cottage industry around this. Before the Nats had a strong home-field advantage, Phillies fans would buy a large percentage of the tickets at Nats Park during the series against Philly. Then they would do Philly fan things.
Harper's return to D.C. will certainly be difficult for Nats fans. Harper left a lot to be desired in how he exited, but no one can deny the impact he had, both on the field and among the fanbase.
The Nats will almost certainly make a tribute to him and fans will give him a standing ovation. He will have his moment in the spotlight and be beloved one last time. Then he will be booed mercilessly for 13 years at Nats Park.
The only shame in this situation is that there will be some audible cheers to neutralize the boos in his second at-bat.
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