A correction: Fan, not Harper, won contest at NatsFest

By Josh Land

Nationals

April 05, 2011, 5:51pm

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Last week, I wrote about the fan experience at NatsFest, but my post had an important error. I mentioned that Bryce Harper easily won a Guitar Hero contest against a fan - information that I later found out was incorrect. In fact, Cody Strakonsky, a 15-year-old first baseman and right fielder from Brunswick, Md., handily beat Harper during their Guitar Hero faceoff at Nationals Park. Competing to the song "Tick Tick Boom," Strakonsky crushed Harper, despite being slightly nervous to meet one of his favorite players. "You can play Guitar Hero, but can you hit a baseball," Harper joked during the game. That meant a lot to Strakonsky, who wears the warrior-like eye black made popular by Harper when he plays baseball. "He was a really good sport and seems like a great kid," Strakonsky said of the experience. "I think he'll be a great ballplayer with a great future ahead of him." After the game, Harper gave Strakonsky a signed jersey and tickets to a future Nationals game, while Strakonsky gave Harper some tips for improving his Guitar Hero skills.