Cole Hamels penalised five games for plunking Bryce Harper - MLB Update
Major League Baseball issued a five-game ban on Monday to the Philadelphia Phillies’ starter Cole Hamels for plunking Bryce Harper. During the Phillies’ 9-3 win over Washington Nationals, Hamels attempted to intimidate 19-year-old rookie, Bryce Harper by
throwing a fast pitch at him.
Interestingly, Hamels plainly admitted his tactic toward Harper and duly respected the punishment, MLB announced against him. For him, it was his customary way to challenge teens like Harper in Majors and by doing so he wanted to hold his best from coming
through against him.
Ever since Harper has made his entry in to the Major League, the Nationals’ offence has taken a new life.
Regardless of the type of pitchers Harper is coming across, he just goes to the plate in every game and slams hits. Within a span of few games, his slugging percentage has topped in the line-up.
Against this backdrop, Hamels, afraid of being treated similarly by Harper, may have resorted to an unconventional method to contain him.
However, Hamels has a far deeper explanation. He believes that what he did was just what he has seen in baseball for years. Threatening newcomers and testing them through fastballs has been very much a part of the game. He also had to pass through that passage,
Hamels clarified.
"That's something I grew up watching, that's kind of what happened. So I'm just trying to continue the old baseball because I think some people are kind of getting away from it," Hamels said. "I remember when I was a rookie the strike zone was really, really
small and you didn't say anything because that's the way baseball is.”
Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies' General Manager duly condemns the incident and seconds the decision taken by the MLB. As a team, he says, Phillies do not believe in such cheeky ways for getting over competitors.
"Obviously that's not what we're about," Amaro said. "We're not about trying to injure people. Things that happen in the game happen in the game.”
His absence will not hurt the Phillies much, as Cliff Lee will return on Wednesday.
Hamels will go back and redesign his strategy for combating the rookies. One will hope that he comes up with something more legitimate.
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