10-year-old boy describes the scuffle to get Bryce Harper's helmet at Phillies game

Christie Ileto Image
Friday, September 29, 2023
Young fan describes the scuffle to get Bryce Harper's helmet
10-year-old boy describes the scuffle to get Bryce Harper's helmet at Phillies game

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's not every day you go to a Philadelphia Phillies game and leave with one of the most coveted souvenirs.

A 10-year-old walked away with Bryce Harper's helmet after fireworks flew on the field.

Harper tossed his batting helmet into the stands after being ejected from the game by umpire Angel Hernandez.

Hayden Dorfman, of Voorhees, New Jersey, says at first he thought it was coming straight to him, but then realized he was going to have to muscle his way to the memento.

"(The helmet) got bounced into the aisle, and then like three or four other grown men went for it, and dad knew he wouldn't get it because he didn't want to tug with three or four grown men," said the 5th grader. "So he just said, 'give it to the kid!' And then that worked!"

SEE ALSO: Young Phillies fan given helmet after Harper flips on ump

As the men scrambled, Dorfman said he stood back to avoid getting hurt.

"I was just backing up because I did not want to get hurt. I did not want to get involved at the time," he said jokingly.

Hayden Dorfman, 10, of Voorhees, N.J., holds up Bryce Harper's autographed helmet during a baseball game on Sept. 28, 2023.
(AP Photo/Daniel Gelston)

The surprises didn't stop there.

After getting Harper's helmet, Dorfman and his dad went to go get some food. Suddenly, they were summoned back to their seats.

"There's like five or six security guards just waiting for us by our seats," he said. "They're like, 'Harper wants to sign it!' I gave it to them, and like 10ish minutes later, they came back with it and I was just like, 'Whoa!'"

Dorfman brought the helmet into school on Friday morning.

"They've just been like surrounding me, asking me, 'What? How?'" Dorfman said of his classmates.

As for superstitions, Dorfman says he will wear the helmet every time the Phillies play to give Bryce winning powers.

He'll be at at Citizens Bank Park for Game 2 of the wild card series.