Remarks about Cole Hamels cost Mike Rizzo fine by MLB as former serves five-game suspension - MLB
An immediate reaction comes from Major League Baseball as brash remarks by the Washington Nationals’ General Manager, Mike Rizzo make headlines. Rizzo has been fined and told to never use the words he did while criticising Hamels.
Rizzo was too over the top in taking a swipe at Hamels and that offended MLB, which considered it against the spirit of the game.
Following an intimidation attempt by Cole Hamels to Bryce Harper during the game, MLB had imposed a five-game ban on him. Since MLB had taken due action, it was unnecessary from Rizzo to call for further actions against him.
Rizzo wanted MLB to set a precedent by thrusting the worst possible punishment, but as this was like disapproving discretion of the organisation, they had to take this step.
As soon as the incident happened, the Nationals launched an attack at Hamels and questioned his negative tactics.
While they criticised Harper and termed him too great a hitter to be frightened, they dared Hamels to never take him for granted next time.
Harshest of denouncements came from the General Manager. For him, it was an attempt made out of fear. Afraid of being roughed up by the 19-year old Harper, he resorted to illegal means, the GM hinted.
The incident of throwing at rookies was totally new to Rizzo and he has never witnessed this during his entire baseball career, he stated.
What prompted the MLB to penalise Rizzo was few epithets he used to stigmatise Hamels. In a catharsis of anger at him, he termed him as "gutless" and "classless".
When it was asked from Hamels as to why he did this, he gave a straightforward reply.
Taking such practices as part of the classic baseball norms, he said he wanted to put the teen-ager to same kind of taste that players of his age will experience in the old days.
Even during his own initial days in baseball, Hamels said, he also had to pass through this stage. Whole fiasco was just a little distraction from the season, which is going smoothly. As the season progresses, one will hope that these incidents will just
be an exception.
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