Bryce Harper unveils hats for cancer research

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- National League MVP Bryce Harper can only hope to hide his luscious locks under his Washington Nationals cap, but now he has another hat worth wearing.

Harper created limited addition hats, which went on sale Wednesday. Some proceeds from sales of the caps go to Harper's Heroes and the Leukemia & Lymphoma society. Harper's charity is for children battling cancer.

The caps, made by New Era were unveiled yesterday at Nationals Park, along with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and New Era executive Bill Adams.

"This is something that really hits home for me," Harper told reporters Wednesday.

He unveiled a "Harper's Heroes" ski cap, along with a standard ball cap. The ball cap retails for $25.99.

"We've been proud of him since the day he stepped foot in here. He's a credit to the Nationals organization," Rizzo told reporters, via the Washington Post. "You talk about faces of the franchise, you couldn't have a better ambassador not only for the game of baseball and Major League Baseball, but also this city and District of Columbia here and Washington. He's a true Washingtonian in his heart. He loves the area, loves the fan base, and he's a young player who is making an impact on and off the field which endears him to our fan base here in Washington and to us in the front office."

Harper said he will continue to wear the hats during interviews and at other times during the season. He said the ski cap was made as something that could be worn during the playoffs.

The 23-year-old superstar has 22 home runs and 68 RBI in 500 plate appearances this season. He hit a career high 42 home runs last season, while raking .330.

"This is something that really hits home for me," Harper told reporters. "Sorry, it gets me a little bit emotional talking about it. I had a couple friends and family members that have gone through it. So when I was growing up, I never wanted to do it for the cameras or for the TVs or anything like that. This was all just for me, to bring the families in and see the smiles and get them away from the everyday life and that struggle."