Will Cole Hamels be suspended?
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Will Cole Hamels be suspended?
Matt Gelb
WASHINGTON — He had already said enough, but this, he would not admit. When, exactly, did Cole Hamels decide he would fire a fastball at Bryce Harper's back?
"I'm not going to tell you that one," Hamels said. He laughed. "Sorry."
The lanky lefthander said he was not responding to the Nationals having asserted themselves with two straight victories to begin this hyped weekend series. That, he said, would have required a lot more work.
"If I was getting back for our side I think I'd have to drill quite a few people because you're in their home ballpark," Hamels said. "It's just, 'Welcome to the big leagues.'"
He had alluded to hitting Harper on purpose, but not completely. But Hamels allowed only one run Sunday and it was Harper, who stole home after being plunked. He was pristine for the rest of the night, another clip on the ever-extending file as he prepares for a mega payday in free agency.
Then, finally, when asked what his intent specifically was with the 93-m.p.h. fastball so accurately placed, Hamels decided he would send another message. He could face punishment for it.
"I was trying to hit him," Hamels said. "I'm not going to deny it. That's just — you know what, it's something that I grew up watching, that's what happened, so I'm just trying to continue the old baseball. I think some people kind of get away from it. I remember when I was a rookie, the strike zone was really really small and you didn't say anything just because that's the way baseball is. Sometimes the league is protecting certain players and making it not that old-school, prestigious way of baseball."
Hamels made it clear he was not attempting to injure Harper. "I think they understood the message and they threw it right back," Hamels said. Nationals righthander Jordan Zimmermann later denied to Washington reporters he had struck Hamels intentionally with a pitch in the third. He, too, could be suspended.
"I mean, he was bunting and I'm going to take an out when I can get an out," Zimmermann said. "I was trying to go away and just cut a fastball really, really bad and unfortunately hit him in the knee."
That's when warnings were formally issued to each bench. There were no ejections. But Hamels stands to be suspended because he tacitly admitted to hitting another player. Major League Baseball tends to frown upon such actions — even when the player steadfastly denies his intentions.
There are few recent instances when a pitcher admits to throwing at a player. The lone example from the past five years is when Chicago's Bobby Jenks said he was throwing behind Texas' Ian Kinsler in 2009.
"I meant to," Jenks said then. "To send a message. Basically I was saying, 'I'm sick of seeing our guys get hit and hurt and almost get taken out of the game.' I threw it with intention."
The pitcher was fined $750 and not suspended, which surprised him at the time.
In 2008, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended two games for saying he had ordered pitchers to intentionally hit batters.
Charlie Manuel was not as brash as Hamels.
"It looked to me like he was trying to come up and in on him and he hit him," Manuel said. "That's what I saw."
His pitcher said much, much more. The Nationals certainly noticed. It's likely the commissioner's office will too.
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Three times in three sentences you call Hamels an idiot. You don't exactly sound like a candidate for membership in MENSA yourself, zogger...— Russ- Trying to send a message. Didn't mean to hurt him. Kid stole home later as a way to send his own message. That's baseball. It's why we watch. Good for them.— Sam Crow
Comment removed.- My only concern is that by 4pm today Cole will have another "honesty" attack and announce that "Yea, Charlie told me to ding him."
- "the Wussification of America"...Ed Rendell— mayfair_
- Love it!— Phillycb21
- Hamels should be suspended for fifteen days (or three starts) and should get a fastball to the head the next time he's at bat against the Nats. Dirty play is not defensible just because it's "old baseball".— Jamesonian_62
- Oh, and it was also the move of a coward. You don't like Harper? Strike him out, you coward.— Jamesonian_62
- After the 7-1 snoozer on Saturday the team needed an injection. It may have been dumb to admit it, but this squad needs some swagger. Good for Hamels. Amaro better make the man a nice offer.— gho_matt
- Phillies may have won the game, but they lost the series, they've lost 8 of the last 9 to the Nationals and the Nationals are still in 1st place and the Phillies are still in last place. The Phillies time is over. There's a new top dog in the NL East. Keep coming down to our park if you want to watch your team get spanked! Or, you can go to your own park and watch the Nats do it there.— chloemerchant
- I think it stung more for the 19 year old to immediately steal home off the veteran "ace" left-hander than getting a smack in the back. After the game, when asked about it, Harper laughed and said Hamels pitched a good game...classy kid..— amgabber
- I agree with Jamesonian. How would Hamels feel if he had hurt Harper? It was possible. He threw a 93 m.p.h fastball at a man. Hamels has good control, but it's not perfect. Suppose the ball had sailed up towards Harper's face or down to his kneecap?
It takes more guts to throw a ball over the plate than it does to hit someone.— nmlawyer - People will call him classless, immature or stupid. I call him a Philadelphia Phillie. Has any player gone from being hero to goat to poster child so quickly in a Phillies uniform? He has earned all the respect in the world now and if we don't re-sign him it will be the biggest mistake RAJ ever makes (and there has been a few).
Sure, anybody on the outside, especially Nat fans will not be happy but it's nothing new. The irony is it was done by a rather unexpected pitcher. A cute Cali boy who is not exactly the epitome of toughness.
Which makes this that much better. He'll definitely get suspended for opening up, but he'll also earn a whole new respect and a lot more money after his performance. Each start he continues to raise his asking price and RAJ is stupid for not ending that this past spring.
Cole is right, Harper is way too comfortable. He's a rookie who has the tools to back it up, but it doesn't earn him a free pass or strike zone like that. Cole is all growns up and I'm loving it.
— philaflava - This team is toast and it doesn't matter if the future Dodger is suspended or not.— Mo Biggsley
- Send a message a baseball tradition let these upstarts (Nationals)know who they are trying show up. Cole that pitch got away from me is the only thing you should have said,god message Cole.— angrywhtguy
