Harper donnybrook

[gunnarthor]

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/nationals-vs-giants/2017/05/29/490873#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=videos,game=490873

 

This is more like your traditional baseball fights and we learn that throwing a batting helmet is really hard to do.

[SF Twins Fan]

I'm surprised we don't seen a batter throw the bat towards a pitcher more often.  i'm not saying it should happen but when a pitcher is clearly throwing an object at you 90 + MPHs I'm just surprised batters don't use the bat more.

[Bark's Lounge]

 

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/nationals-vs-giants/2017/05/29/490873#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=videos,game=490873

 

This is more like your traditional baseball fights and we learn that throwing a batting helmet is really hard to do.

I'm not trying to anal about this situation, but my little brother died of head injuries from a survivable fall 14 years ago. One of these days, a pitcher throwing at a batter is going to hit the batter in the head and they will die. The pitcher then should be tried for murder and spend many years of their life in prison.

 

We live in different times based against 20-30+ years. Athletes are stronger because they have the time to train hardcore, which in turn, they have more talent/ability.

 

The HBP should go the way of the Dodo.

[gunnarthor]

I'm sorry about your brother.

[SwainZag]

I think he aborted on the helmet throw.  

 

Edit: I'm totally wrong.  

 

https://gfycat.com/ShoddyMindlessHammerkop

[Blackjack]

I don't understand the baseball 'rule' that if someone hits a home run (or two) off of you, its ok to throw at him. The HR hitter was just doing their job and you didn't do yours.

[gunnarthor]

 

I don't understand the baseball 'rule' that if someone hits a home run (or two) off of you, its ok to throw at him. The HR hitter was just doing their job and you didn't do yours.

There isn't (at least not anymore). That's why Posey didn't try to stop Harper. Apparently Strickland is a hot head who is not well loved in his own clubhouse.

[Seth Stohs]

Yeah, it's pretty clear that Strickland was acting on his own there... 

 

But Harper's a hot head too... seriously, he's going to be suspended 5-10 games (probably would have been more if his aim wasn't so bad)... While the Nationals will be fine without him, that's a lot of games to miss. 

 

Strickland will likely get a similar amount of games. But as a reliever, that means he'll missed 3-6 innings? Smardzja will likely get some time. Maybe others. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Yeah, it's pretty clear that Strickland was acting on his own there... 

 

But Harper's a hot head too... seriously, he's going to be suspended 5-10 games (probably would have been more if his aim wasn't so bad)... While the Nationals will be fine without him, that's a lot of games to miss. 

 

Strickland will likely get a similar amount of games. But as a reliever, that means he'll missed 3-6 innings? Smardzja will likely get some time. Maybe others. 

 

the game does nothing to protect him. he should do what, stand there and get hit for no reason?

[gunnarthor]

 

the game does nothing to protect him. he should do what, stand there and get hit for no reason?

A few years ago, he got plunked by Cole Hamels on purpose. Instead of charging the mound, he took first and then proceeded to steal home and made Hamels look like an idiot.

 

And the umps probably would have tossed Strickland today even if the fight hadn't started. That said, I'm ok with Harper's reaction. 

[drjim]

 

A few years ago, he got plunked by Cole Hamels on purpose. Instead of charging the mound, he took first and then proceeded to steal home and made Hamels look like an idiot.

 

And the umps probably would have tossed Strickland today even if the fight hadn't started. That said, I'm ok with Harper's reaction. 

 

I imagine Harper looks at Cole Hamels and Hunter Strickland a little bit differently. And rightfully so.

[Seth Stohs]

 

the game does nothing to protect him. he should do what, stand there and get hit for no reason?

 

I don't know what the answer is... he got hit in the hip... I get the immediate reaction and response... but somewhere you need to be thinking, "if I go out there and throw some punches, I'm hurting my team for an extended period.' 

 

I don't know what the answer is. 

[Squirrel]

I don't know what the answer is... he got hit in the hip... I get the immediate reaction and response... but somewhere you need to be thinking, "if I go out there and throw some punches, I'm hurting my team for an extended period.' 

 

I don't know what the answer is.

 

Backing up a step and teaching pitchers not to intentionally hit batters would be the place to start.

[drjim]

 

Backing up a step and teaching pitchers not to intentionally hit batters would be the place to start.

 

Strickland really should get crushed in his suspension. But probably won't.

[Squirrel]

Strickland really should get crushed in his suspension. But probably won't.

Yep ... I'm all for pitchers getting tougher penalties for intentionally hitting anyone. However, it's difficult to determine intent ... sometimes it's pretty obvious while other times it's not. But that which is obvious, tough penalty and fine and maybe it will make others think twice.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I don't know what the answer is... he got hit in the hip... I get the immediate reaction and response... but somewhere you need to be thinking, "if I go out there and throw some punches, I'm hurting my team for an extended period.' 

 

I don't know what the answer is. 

 

agreed, there is not good answer.

 

I do agree, any pitcher that is throwing at a guy on purpose should be gone for weeks.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Backing up a step and teaching pitchers not to intentionally hit batters would be the place to start.

 

I don't think that's Bryce Harper's job though...

[wsnydes]

I do think that the players should be allowed to police themselves to some extent in certain situations like they did back in the day, however, throwing at hitters has gotten to a point where it's simply too dangerous.  You've got guys exceeding 100mph on the mound and to some extent you're taking your life in your own hands simply by stepping into the batters box as a hitter.  I'm firmly in the camp that says that this nonsense needs to go away.  Where there is clear intent, penalties should be very steep.  It's the less obvious scenarios that get harder to police.

 

I wonder if there will come a point where they end up moving the mound back in order to protect pitchers from line drives coming off of bats and to give hitters more time to get out of the way of 100mph pitches.  I hope they'd find a different solution for those, but I don't know what that would be.

[Squirrel]

I don't think that's Bryce Harper's job though...

Of course not and he shouldn't react that way. But the pitcher should not be throwing with the intent of hitting him. What I meant was backing up with young pitchers and teaching them that is something they shouldn't be doing, ever.

[nicksaviking]

 

I don't think that's Bryce Harper's job though...

 

Harper's responsibility in that situation should be to call time, calmly walk to the dugout phone, call the police and file an assault charge against Strickland.

 

I'd guess the lengthy delay in the game while the police are on the mound interviewing the assailant might make MLB consider stronger deterrents.

[Hrbowski]

Strickland has had an extreme spike in wildness this year, so that makes it even harder to prove intent.

 

I don't get why people always jump on the pitcher. They miss there spots badly away from the batter all the time, so why do people assume that every time a pitcher misses badly inside they think he did it intentionally?

 

Another thing that needs to be looked at here is the strategic side of the game. Harper had hit home runs of Strickland every other time he faced him, so it makes sense that Strickland would be throwing as hard as could at Harper's weakest spot, which is inside.

 

That being said, why would you ever charge the mound if you don't know how to punch? Harper looked pretty pathetic there.

[Shaitan]

Fights happen anywhere and everywhere in life, sports are no different.

 

Is it dumb? Yes. But it's going to happen. There's always that percentage of idiots and people who can't control their emotions.

 

I do think MLB's non-drug suspensions are a joke for the most part. The league should rethink the "warning" system that gave teams a freebie and got Gardie so heated, and they should base suspensions by the week instead of by the day (for real infractions, not dust-ups like the Sano thing).

[nicksaviking]

 

Fights happen anywhere and everywhere in life, sports are no different.

 

Is it dumb? Yes. But it's going to happen. There's always that percentage of idiots and people who can't control their emotions.

 

I do think MLB's non-drug suspensions are a joke for the most part. The league should rethink the "warning" system that gave teams a freebie and got Gardie so heated, and they should base suspensions by the week instead of by the day (for real infractions, not dust-ups like the Sano thing).

 

They don't happen at my work, not sure about everyone else here who is currently employed. If some immature idiots got into a fight in my office the police would be called and likely both parties would be fired. Aside from law enforcement, both the Giants and Nationals should have HR departments who are trained to handle such incidents. They'd surely be involved if a couple of front office interns did the same thing.

[cmoss84]

On a lighter side of the conversation...I have a buddy who is the Nats bullpen catcher. I told him that he needs to teach his players how to throw left hooks so they don't hurt their throwing hand. 

 

He was making fun of Harper a bit the way he threw his punches. 

 

Looks like Harper got 4 games and Strickland 6. Thought it would've been a lot more for Harper. 

[gunnarthor]

Hey, what happened to that funny twitter post?

[gunnarthor]

 

 

They don't happen at my work, not sure about everyone else here who is currently employed. If some immature idiots got into a fight in my office the police would be called and likely both parties would be fired. Aside from law enforcement, both the Giants and Nationals should have HR departments who are trained to handle such incidents. They'd surely be involved if a couple of front office interns did the same thing.

I think that's probably unlikely. I suspect a lot of work places have the occasional push that everyone accepts. I suspect if you go to your gym or YMCA, you'll see normal adults pushing and shoving. And this idea that players should conduct themselves to the code of your work setting is silly and really not relevant. Not every post on baseball brawls has to devolve into "he should have called the cops." It's ok to sit back and enjoy things that are silly and baseball brawls are silly.

[jimmer]

I have never seen a fight at any job I've worked at or any gym I've been to.  Too much time around adults, I guess.

 

But anyway, since it DOES happen, it's ridiculous a barely used reliever only gets 6 games for intentionally throwing at a guy while Harper, an every day player, get 4 games.

 

Just take the beaning, guys.  Go Old School rules!  Take that 3 year grudge fulfillment like a man!

[gunnarthor]

https://thebaseballcodes.com/2017/05/30/hats-off-to-bryce-harper-ill-considered-hbp-spawns-ill-considered-response-to-ill-considered-mound-charge/

 

Turbow's take on the incident. He surmises that the fact that both Posey and Crawford were late to the fracas suggests Strickland "had been making clubhouse pronouncements about his intention to get Harper, even in the face of veteran teammates advising him against it."

[Mike Sixel]

https://thebaseballcodes.com/2017/05/30/hats-off-to-bryce-harper-ill-considered-hbp-spawns-ill-considered-response-to-ill-considered-mound-charge/

 

Turbow's take on the incident. He surmises that the fact that both Posey and Crawford were late to the fracas suggests Strickland "had been making clubhouse pronouncements about his intention to get Harper, even in the face of veteran teammates advising him against it."

And yet, only six games. Pathetic.

[gunnarthor]

 

And yet, only six games. Pathetic.

Honestly, it seems about right. He was the instigator so he got a couple more days. Odor got 8 days for his fight with Bautista and that's probably the gold standard. MLB can't just push arbitrary numbers for suspensions (unlike the NFL).