Posted on 05/09/2012 9:53:05 AM PDT by TBP
If there's anyone who should be familiar with the kind of throwback, old-school baseball Cole Hamels discussed after intentionally hitting Nationals rookie Bryce Harper with a pitch Sunday night, it's Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
Leyland, a baseball lifer, has managed in 3,203 games since 1986 -- when Hamels was just 3. But even Leyland's joining the chorus of critics displeased by Hamels' actions.
During his regular pregame radio show Monday night, he characterized Hamels' five-game suspension as being "way too light," and, according to MLB.com, suggested 15 games would have been more appropriate.
(Excerpt) Read more at csnphilly.com ...
Which led to making batting helmets mandatory.
Scratch that. It wasn’t Rico. It was Tony Conigliaro. Got me Red Sox mixed up.
“Intentional” remains the operative word.
SnakeDoc
Take away the DH and make the damn pitchers bat.......
Have some research think-tank connect the dots between a beaning and a concussion and long-term issues with dementia, and it will quickly become a 75 game suspension.
Nonsense. Veteran pitchers have been hazing rookies and trying to intimidate them since professional baseball began.
It would only have crossed the line if he has tried to hurt Harper.
If there was, the pitcher would have been thrown at Harper's head.
A few years back, Mike Maroth got tossed out of the game on his very first pitch. However it was the day after a bench clearing brawl with the Tigers and Royals after Carlos Guillen took a fastball to the head.
Or is it liberal pansy-ass crap that some are whining about something that has been a part of the game since its beginning?
There is big difference between trying to hurt another player and giving them "love tap" in a place where no injury was going occur.
Harper is the one who handled it well. 19 years old, stealing home on a pitcher who meant to hit your for you first stolen base after going first to third on a single is pretty impressive.
I don’t know why he did it in the first place, it would be one thing if Harper was hot-dogging like he supposedly did at times in the minors. But he hasn’t at all, and I’ve watched every game so far. In fact, his hustle has been just outstanding. I do like that Hammels admitted it kinda, but there should have been a reason to throw at him in the first place and yes, he should miss at least one start. Hamels was also hit in that game, the issue would have been over. I wouldn’t want to get in a snowball fight with the Nats staff this year. Rizzo has been fined for his comments, I believe.
Freegards
But you have to admit, it was pretty stupid on Hamel’s part to admit it?
He handled the right way and stole a base afterward.
A players don't charge the mound unless he is a head case or unless a pitcher has thrown a pitch that could hurt him.
If a player is show-boating, yes. If a player is crowding the plate, yes. But not just because someone is a rookie. I don’t seem to recall Kemp getting plunked by some chicken*** pitcher, just because he was a rookie.
There was always a code to these things. Hamel doesn’t even know that. Why do you think virtually every old-time player has come out and said this wasn’t old school baseball, but was classless and stupid?
I’m not sure what the point of fining Rizzo was.
Overreact much? The ball hit him in the back, not the head. This kind of crap has been going on for close to the 50 years that I’ve been following the game. Gotta admit, Hamels is the first one that I recall admitting to it though. Not sure how smart that is.
The best responses came from the players themselves. Harper came around and stole home as a result. When Hamels came to bat, the pitcher hit him. Tit for tat. Hamels didn’t whine about it. The players police their own game and move on. That’s the way it should happen.
BTW, for what it’s worth, Hamels obviously was not trying to cripple the guy. Why he did it or whether it was smart is another question. IMHO, the other guy that looks like an idiot is Rizzo. It’s not he first the guy has grandstanded and acted like a clown.
He still loses 5/162 of his regular season pay, a little better than 3%.
Few rookies have come into the league getting accolades Harper is getting. Hamels just wanted him to realize he is still a rookie with a lot to learn.
This happens a lot. But most pitchers don't admit to doing it so it isn't made a big deal of in the media.
YYYYYYaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnn!
Hamels hit the kid on the waist. NO WHERE NEAR HIS HEAD.
Harper had no complaints about what happened. Hamels DID BAT later in the game and was HIT BY A PITCH!. He never complained. The big deal is he told the truth where every other pitcher gives the “pitch got away from me” lie.
What a non-story!
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