“Before he hits, Harper lays his bat down in the batter’s box, takes two steps toward the pitcher, bends over, scoops up dirt in his bare hands (batting gloves? Hah!), rubs it between his palms and then returns to grab his bat and take his place in the box. “He’s got this thingfor dirt,” Sheri says. It looks like an act of defiance, a marking of territory—in this case, home plate—as his alone.” - Bryce Harper is the next Lebron James of baseball