"That's a clown question, bro" - When 19-year-old Bryce Harper shut down taking advantage of lower drinking age claims

Bryce Harper had little trouble when he debuted with the Washington Nationals as a 19-year-old in 2012. He looked more like an established veteran than a youngster with little professional experience.

Harper was making an impact at the big-league level and people were taking notice. From other coaches to media members, all eyes were on the young slugger from Las Vegas.

He would get one of his first viral moments as a big leaguer in his rookie year. After a win against the Toronto Blue Jays, a reporter asked if he planned on taking advantage of Canada's lower drinking age laws, via ESPN.

"I'm not answering that. That's a clown question, bro" said Harper.

It did not take long for that to get trending on social media. Not only that, online retailers quickly put the quote on T-shirts and baseball fans could not get enough of it.

While this became a viral moment, it showed how tuned in Harper was as a rookie. He was all business, as he continues to be going into year 14 as a big leaguer.

Red Sox star came to Bryce Harper's aid after viral moment

Former Washington Nationals Slugger - Bryce Harper (Photo via IMAGN)

The media can get to players, and some know that more than others. Not every player gets the same amount of attention or scrutiny, so those that do, tend to stick up for one another.

This was no different with former Boston Red Sox slugger Dustin Pedroia. Being one of the smaller players in the league, he was often teased for his height and his game was questioned.

When he heard of the question that Bryce Harper got, he came to the youngster's aid. If it were him, he would have answered that question a little bit differently.

"Poor kid. I would have said, '[Expletive] you, I'm 19" said Pedroia.

Pedroia was known to drop expletives during his interviews. He was a fiery person both on and off the field, which was a big reason for his success. He was the American League Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Star, AL MVP, and four-time Gold Glover before retiring in 2021.

It did not take long for Boston to recognize him and everything he had done for the organization across 14 seasons. That same year, the club announced his induction into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class.