'Atta Boy Harper' Braves Insult Becomes Legendary Phillies Rallying Cry, T-Shirt

PHILADLEPHIA, PA — The Phillies play October baseball like mid 20th century heavyweight boxers, with a chip on their shoulders and a Joe Frazier ferocity in the ring, and a hoods up, quiet respect for their opponent outside of it. As a matter of code the only loud talking they do is with their bats and their gloves.

That didn't change even after Monday night, when the Braves team that won 104 games in the regular season won their only playoff game. Truist Park in Atlanta, after Michael Harris made a miraculous leaping grab and picked Bryce Harper off at first base, almost sounded as loud as Citizens Bank Park's resting state during any random moment of a playoff game.

See also: Nick Castellanos Makes Baseball History As Phillies Topple Braves

It didn't even change after sportswriter Jake Mintz reported that shortstop Orlando Arcia chuckled out an "atta boy Harper" amidst a prematurely revelatory clubhouse crowd. Presumably he was laughing about Harper's mistake, but it's debateable that Harper, who represented the tying run in the 9th inning, did anything incorrect.

Moments later, before the Phillies heard about that phateful atta boy, Nick Castellanos told a group of reporters "we thrive when we get punched in the face, man."

Two nights later Castellanos and Harper each hit two home runs as the Phillies routed the Braves, 10-2. Harper stared down Arcia as he rounded second base each time, stares that were captured in a still photo that will echo into Philadelphia sports eternity. "Put it in the Louvre," is the common refrain.

Castellanos, perhaps still feeling that the Phillies had been punched in the face, hit two more home runs Thursday night. And the Phillies, though they didn't say a word about it unless asked directly by reporters, sported shirts with the now infamous "ATTABOY HARPER" across the front as they sprayed beer and champagne around the dugout after Thursday night's win. The shirts can even be purchased online by fans now through a local sports t-shirt shop.

Facing the mouthy Conor McGregorism of Arcia and a national TBS broadcast heavily favoring the Braves, the Phillies did their work, put their gloves down, stepped over the proverbial Tyrone Lue and jogged down the court, Frazier raising one arm before bowing out down the tunnel at the old Spectrum and into the NLCS.

Eight more wins to go.