Imagine being a Philadelphia Phillies player and just training for a clash. You’re focused, full of energy, and thinking about your next moves. And then you hear a slight “woof” and see a cute doggo just walking around like he owns the place. How can you control your urge to pat this good boy and focus on baseball? The San Francisco Giants’ star signing  Matt Chapman put the Phils in this dilemma yesterday. 

As the Bay Bombers and the Phillies were training, Matt Chapman was busy playing around with his pet, Harley. The superstar and Harley were engaged in a great game of fetch, with other players slowly noticing the cuteness of the moment. For a moment, the training almost stopped to give much-needed love to this beautiful doggo, who has been going viral on the internet ever since. 

Though it isn’t the first time we’ve seen Harley. If one remembers correctly, Chapman and his wife Taylor had brought Harley with them when they first stepped foot at Orace Park in April. Ever since then, he’s been one of the most popular topics of discussion for the Giants fanbase. While there’s little information about the date the couple adopted Harley, looking at his age, it must have been around last year. 

Matt Chapman was seen carrying Harley away from the team. However, the star then threw the ball down the third baseline once again, leading the doggo toward the players. The Phillies players were particularly awed by the doggo, who could be seen continuously going towards their side. And that gave fans a chance to come up with some wild and hilarious theories. Still, while those theories were fantastic, it’s undeniable that there was a lot of love being given to Harley as well.

The Harley-Matt Chapman connection becomes a bright spot for the San Francisco Giants

It took seconds for the videos of Harley to go viral. It was obvious, who doesn’t love doggos, right? The comments were a rather interesting mix of love and competitiveness. “Harley relaxes everyone. She’s a secret weapon,” a fan said. Certainly, seeing a cute dog like Harley running towards you can lower your focus. What is it with humans and that physiological need to pat animals?

“I want Harley and Matt retire as Giants,” another fan wrote. With Matt Chapman’s performances improving and Harley’s popularity rising, is it a surprise that the Giants fans want to elongate this connection? “As a Phillies fan, I think it’s safe to say that Harley can come practice with the Phils all he or she wants,” a Philadelphia Phillies fan said. It’s so exciting to see a doggo transcend the fault lines and unite the fanbases of two different teams. 

“MORE HARLEY CONTENT,” a Harley lover demanded. Would most fans agree with this demand? The comments on this video show that they’ll surely do so. Perhaps Harley can become to the Giants what Dekopin Decoy is to the Los Angeles Dodgers. “Good thing he retired, otherwise Angel Hernandez would have tossed him instead of the ball,” an X user noted. One wonders how Angel Hernandez managed to catch strays in a wholesome post like this. Still, looks like the Giants fans are in love. Who wouldn’t be? Just look at Harley.