CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – Bryce Harper’s first year in Philadelphia ended with his former team winning the World Series, and the Phillies suffered another September collapse in his second season.

He says it’s time to end the team’s nine-year absence from postseason baseball.

“I hate being home for Halloween,” Harper said Thursday. “The city of Philadelphia deserves it and they need it. We’re a team that can hopefully do that for them and give that to them. They deserve to be in the stands in October and I know they’re willing to do that.”

Before the Phillies hired David Dombrowski to be president of baseball operations and re-signed two-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Didi Gregorius, Harper wasn’t sure about the team’s direction.

“When you get halfway through the offseason and there’s not really much going on, you kind of start worrying about what our identity as a team is going to be,” Harper said. “I was wondering what we’re going to do.”

Then, Phillies managing partner John Middleton brought Dombrowski on board and promoted Sam Fuld to replace general manager Matt Klentak.

“You don’t really bring in Dombrowski unless it’s a win-now move,” Harper said.

Dombrowski won a World Series with the Marlins in 1997, another with the Red Sox in 2018 and reached two with the Tigers. He’s trying to lead the Phillies to success after they fell one win shy of reaching the expanded postseason in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Besides bringing Realmuto and Gregorius back, Dombrowski has strengthened a bullpen that blew 21 leads last year.

“He’s done a great job,” Harper said. “We have a lot of competition in camp. … Just very fortunate to play for an organization that is ready to go, ready to win and made the moves that are the significant moves that we needed to this offseason.”

Harper hit .268 with 13 homers, 33 RBIs and a .962 OPS in the second year of his $330 million, 13-year contract. He led the majors with 49 walks and was fifth with a .420 on-base percentage. Harper tailed off down the stretch while playing with a back injury that made it difficult to throw from the outfield.

He’s healthy now and eager to not only reach the postseason but win a series for the first time in his 10-year career.

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