Where are all the Bryce Harper haters now?

It wasn't long ago that he was ridiculed and downplayed, only to see his former team win the World Series without him.

Who needsHarper was the cry. There was a lot of talk about good riddance.

They could not have been more wrong.

We saw all the videos of him launching monster home runs when we first watched him.

He was going to be the face of baseball. It's a must see TV.

We have seenHarper do amazing feats in his career, but Sunday was what we had been waiting for. In the bottom of the eighth, with the game tied at 3,Harper hit a two-run home run to give the Phils the lead and they went on to win.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who were the lowest-seeded team in the playoffs, will play in the World Series for the first time in five years. The city is filled with activity.

The Phils weren't expected to arrive here. The season started so poorly that the manager was fired.

It's rare for a team to make a dramatic move during the season and make the playoffs. The seven teams that have done so are the Philadelphians. They have a chance to win the World Series.

The biggest reason why it is within their grasp is because ofHarper, who finished the NLCS with 8 hits, five runs, and two homers. The NLCS Most Valuable Player was him.

The face of a franchise does that.

He was given a 13-year, $330 million contract by the Philadelphians. They wanted him to be the leader of their team.

At the time of the signing, a lot of people thought that it wouldn't pay off for the team. There were doubts about whether or notHarper could lead the way. The peepers were incorrect. It's dead right.

Being big in big moments is the only way to prove your worth.

Winning on the big stage and delivering in the clutch can't be beat, even though all the personal achievements are nice.

Mike Trout entered the picture.

The baseball player has all the tools. He is thought to be the best all-around player of all time. All the stat nerds have numbers to back up their claims.

He won't be seen like that by the majority because he hasn't won anything. His team has never won a playoff game in their careers.

With the season on the line, we've never seen Trout come through.

Most of his numbers don't add up. He only bats in April and May. The Los Angeles Angels are usually out of the playoffs in August.

You have to compete.

When the outcome of the game is at stake, there is a difference in playing and competing.

That is the reason whyHarper's blast was so significant.

Who knows what would have happened if the Phils had lost at home.

The team would have had to return to San Diego to finish the job. The Dodgers did not make it out of there alive.

For teams that met the Phils, that is the same thing. In this year's playoffs,Harper has five homers and is batting.409. His bat enabled the Braves to win the World Championship.

"No matter who was on the mound, No. 3 is made for that type of moment." He did it a second time. We weren't surprised.

Today, those who were hiding are out of sight. They will not be watching the world series. They didn't want to seeHarper in a place they thought he wouldn't get to.