What do you really think, Mike?

[Mr. Happy]

He just went up several points in my book.

[jbm]

Seems like a bit of an overreaction on Rizzo's part.  One qoute directed at Hamels would have been plenty. 

[Mr. Happy]

Seems like a bit of an overreaction on Rizzo's part.  One qoute directed at Hamels would have been plenty. 

I have absolutely no problem with what he said. Did you see the play? Hamels, who has pretty fucking good control, hit Harper in the back with his heater. I usually take up for the pitcher, but this seems a bit much.

[jbm]

I have no problem with Rizzo being mad, I just think he protests too much.  Mention that it was chickenshit and move on. 

[Bench]

Hamels admitted that he drilled Harper on purpose, and for no other reason than he's a rookie former #1 pick?  Did Harper do anything to "earn" the plunking other than simply existing?  If not, Hamels is a total asshole.

[moriartp]

If not, Hamels is a total asshole.

FIFY.

[Mr. Happy]

Hamels admitted that he drilled Harper on purpose, and for no other reason than he's a rookie former #1 pick?  Did Harper do anything to "earn" the plunking other than simply existing?  If not, Hamels is a total asshole.

He did nothing. I like how Harper got him back. Rather than charging the mound, he fucking stole home a few pitches later. Hamels is an asshole. "Old School" would drill a guy after one of the other guys did something to one of your teammates.

[Mr. Happy]

I have no problem with Rizzo being mad, I just think he protests too much.  Mention that it was chickenshit and move on. 

I understand your point. It's like Rizzo said: Harper will probably be upset with Rizzo for sticking up for him. That, Mr. Hamels, is old school.

[das]

I understand your point. It's like Rizzo said: Harper will probably be upset with Rizzo for sticking up for him. That, Mr. Hamels, is old school.

Indeed.  For all the bitching and moaning about Harper as he made his way thru the minors, I have yet to see anything that would give even a smidgen of creedence to any of the "complaints".  Sounds like a lot of sour grapes.

Hustle and class act, all the way.  His steal of home is getting all the press today around here but these two plays are easily equal to that one:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21226411&topic_id=&c_id=was&tcid=vpp_copy_21226411&v=3
(the end of the clip is great.  He knew exactly what he was going to do 5 steps up the first base line)
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21225809&topic_id=&c_id=was&tcid=vpp_copy_21225809&v=3
(Victorino's face at the end is priceless)

[Navin R Johnson]

The only complaint I have about Harper is his haircut.

[MusicMan]

I'm totally on board with Harper.  Although I do wish he would get a haircut.

[Matt]

I'm totally on board with Harper.  Although I do wish he would get a haircut.

To be fair, he's 19 years old.

[Limey]

To be fair, he's 19 years old.

And the chicks* seem to like it.


* Instead of Hunter's Lodge...Harper's Bazaar?

[MRaup]

And the chicks* seem to like it.


* Instead of Hunter's Lodge...Harper's Bazaar?

Or, if he doesn't like the chicks...

Harper's Fairy!*


*NTTAWWT!

[subnuclear]

5 game suspension for Hamels.

Werth is going to be out 10-12 weeks, so I'm guessing we are going to be seeing a lot of Harper.

[MRaup]

5 game suspension for Hamels.

Werth is going to be out 10-12 weeks, so I'm guessing we are going to be seeing a lot of Harper.

5 game suspensions for a starting pitcher are the stupidest things ever. It should be however many days multiplied by 5.

Hamels start gets pushed back a day! Oh, the horror!

[Ron Brand]

5 game suspensions for a starting pitcher are the stupidest things ever. It should be however many days multiplied by 5.

Hamels start gets pushed back a day! Oh, the horror!

I thought in a case like that it was the pay, not the play.

[Mr. Happy]

5 game suspensions for a starting pitcher are the stupidest things ever. It should be however many days multiplied by 5.

Hamels start gets pushed back a day! Oh, the horror!

Right. He should have to miss five starts.

[Mr. Happy]

I thought in a case like that it was the pay, not the play.

It is the pay too, but the penalty seems light for an obvious drilling in the back. Five starts would have been more like it. FYB obviously went on the same basis as the one he gave Ubaldo Jiminez for drilling Tulowitzki in ST. I don't think that those are equivalent events.

[Ron Brand]

I disagree. It was a plunk in the back, not a shot to the head. If Hamels hadn't popped off too, it would've been handled on the field. To me, missing a start is fine for this.

[Ty in Tampa]

Man, that Phillies/Nats rivalry is really heating up, eh?

[NeilT]

Man, that Phillies/Nats rivalry is really heating up, eh?

It's the national league, who cares?

[Bench]

I thought in a case like that it was the pay, not the play.

Since when do MLB suspensions affect a players' pay?  Is that a new thing?

[Ron Brand]

Since when do MLB suspensions affect a players' pay?  Is that a new thing?

Well, there was a fine component but I thought that all suspensions forfeited pay into an account that MLB uses for charity.

[HudsonHawk]

Since when do MLB suspensions affect a players' pay?  Is that a new thing?

Since 1876.  Loss of pay is not automatic, but players on the suspended list are not guaranteed their salary.

[HudsonHawk]

It should be however many days multiplied by 5.

It is.  This would be a 1-game suspension for a position player or a reliever. 

[MRaup]

It is.  This would be a 1-game suspension for a position player or a reliever. 

Fuck that. One game for admitting you dotted someone and being a smug cocksucker about it is getting off pretty light.

[Ron Brand]

Fuck that. One game for admitting you dotted someone and being a smug cocksucker about it is getting off pretty light.

What is the mitigating factor here? Admitting it, or being a smug cocksucker? Do you really think a 25 game suspension is warranted by either?

[MRaup]

What is the mitigating factor here? Admitting it, or being a smug cocksucker? Do you really think a 25 game suspension is warranted by either?

Being matter-of-fact about hitting someone like that is pretty chickenshit. I think two starts would've been a fair suspension for admitting to hitting someone. And all his talk of old-school baseball is fucking ridiculous. Old school guys didn't announce they were old school at press conferences.

[Bench]

Old school guys didn't announce they were old school at press conferences.

Exactly. 

[EasTexAstro]

Isn't it really about dotting a guy who had done nothing but play well? I don't think I have seen anything about Harper doing anything wrong, questionable, or disrespectful. He's just good.

He bragged about dotting a guy that he was scared of? Just because he felt like it?

If so, yeah, there is no room in baseball for that. He should have a serious suspension. Start him at one month. He'll get the union rep to negotiate it down to 3 weeks.

[HudsonHawk]

Fuck that. One game for admitting you dotted someone and being a smug cocksucker about it is getting off pretty light.

Well, it may be a light sentence...I'm just pointing out where the 5 games came from.

[Limey]

Isn't it really about dotting a guy who had done nothing but play well? I don't think I have seen anything about Harper doing anything wrong, questionable, or disrespectful. He's just good.

He bragged about dotting a guy that he was scared of? Just because he felt like it?

If so, yeah, there is no room in baseball for that. He should have a serious suspension. Start him at one month. He'll get the union rep to negotiate it down to 3 weeks.

It's the NL.  He better not dig in too much next time he faces 'em.

[JackAstro]

And all his talk of old-school baseball is fucking ridiculous. Old school guys didn't announce they were old school at press conferences.

Amen to this. There's nothing old school about drilling a guy for absolutely no reason (a guy you've never even faced before), and there's definitely nothing old school about telling everyone about it after the game. Hamels just looks like a dumbass all around on this one.

I'm with you on the silliness of the 5-game suspension – I've never understood that. If you want a starter to actually miss a start, suspend him for 9 games.

[Ty in Tampa]

Stealing home = old school

[Ron Brand]

Hey, I think Hamels was an ass too, I just think a hefty suspension for saying what he said is too much. As I said before, if he hadn't popped off, this would've been handled on the field and be finished by now.

[EasTexAstro]

Hey, I think Hamels was an ass too, I just think a hefty suspension for saying what he said is too much. As I said before, if he hadn't popped off, this would've been handled on the field and be finished by now.

Now that he said it, any Nat pitcher that hits a Phill could be subject to immediate ejection, fine, and suspension, as well as the manager, correct? He basically made any "on the field" handling quite costly.

[astrosfan76]

Was it Lee that Hamels popped after giving up a HR in Spring Training? 

[chuck]

Was it Lee that Hamels popped after giving up a HR in Spring Training? 

Several years ago he got into it a bit with Bill Hall. (Remember that rascal?)

[Ron Brand]

Now that he said it, any Nat pitcher that hits a Phill could be subject to immediate ejection, fine, and suspension, as well as the manager, correct? He basically made any "on the field" handling quite costly.

No, Zimmerman plunked Hamels later in the game and the ump warned both sides. Case closed, except Hamels couldn't let it rest. His statement doesn't mean everybody is now warned for all time, it just ratchets the relationship between the two sides a bit. If Hamels gets no support from his teammates on this issue, it dies. If they support him and a war starts next time they play, the league will step in. Working things out between the lines will still be the preferred option and Hamels has probably been advised to that.

[JackAstro]

Hey, I think Hamels was an ass too, I just think a hefty suspension for saying what he said is too much. As I said before, if he hadn't popped off, this would've been handled on the field and be finished by now.

You're right, and that was the worse of the two bad decisions, for sure. He got plunked in retaliation, and that should've been the end of it. But once he went and got all lippy about it after the game, it was guaranteed that he was going to get suspended. Just a stupid, pointless decision. If he doesn't want to lie and say the pitch just got away from him (ironically, a proper old school response), then he can just say he doesn't want to talk about it. Reporters can keep asking, but he's not obliged to martyr himself like an idiot.

[Mr. Happy]

Being matter-of-fact about hitting someone like that is pretty chickenshit. I think two starts would've been a fair suspension for admitting to hitting someone. And all his talk of old-school baseball is fucking ridiculous. Old school guys didn't announce they were old school at press conferences.

+1

[Jose Cruz III]

And lost in all of this is a Twitter argument between Ensberg and Qualls about it. The Reverend Ensberg is disappointed.

Former major leaguer Morgan Ensberg, an eight-year veteran who now blogs his baseball observations, tweeted, “Cole [Hamels] disappointed me today by hitting Harper. No honor there. Whoever is the leader on that team doesn't have control.”

Phillies reliever Chad Qualls responded to Ensberg by tweeting, “They hit cole right back but said not on purpose. Yeah right. At least cole was a man and didn't lie about it.”

[geezerdonk]

Harper's remarks after the game showed real savy.

[astrosfan76]

And lost in all of this is a Twitter argument between Ensberg and Qualls about it. The Reverend Ensberg is disappointed.

Really, Chad?  Cole acted like a man in this situation? There's a difference between admitting you did something that you shouldn't have and bragging about your stupidity.  One makes you a man, the other makes you a punk.  Guess which one Cole acted like.

[Matt]

Really, Chad?  Cole acted like a man in this situation? There's a difference between admitting you did something that you shouldn't have and bragging about your stupidity.  One makes you a man, the other makes you a punk.  Guess which one Cole acted like.

Not to mention the fact that Harper had done ZERO to get such treatment. Cole basically went head hunting out of petty jealousy.

[moriartp]

Speaking of Harper, he busted up his face in the clubhouse tunnel tonight. He swung a bat at the wall after making an out, and the bat must've taken offense since it bounced back and hit him under the eye.

Link

[billemite]

Speaking of Harper, he busted up his face in the clubhouse tunnel tonight. He swung a bat at the wall after making an out, and the bat must've taken offense since it bounced back and hit him under the eye.

Link

Man, that bat is old school. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

[Bench]

Man, that bat is old school. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

Good one.

[Mr. Happy]

Speaking of Harper, he busted up his face in the clubhouse tunnel tonight. He swung a bat at the wall after making an out, and the bat must've taken offense since it bounced back and hit him under the eye.

Link

He stayed in the ballgame after doing it too. That's old school. Many players today would beg out during a tough night  after something like that.

But Davey says he'll probably miss a couple of games.