Washington Nationals Rookie Bryce Harper Handles Himself Like a Pro After Getting Hit By Cole Hamels
When Washington Nationals rookie outfielder Bryce Harper settled into the batter’s box in the first inning against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels one of the last things running through his mind was the idea of getting plunked by a fastball. However, Hamels delivered a fastball right into the small of the back of the young phenom. Since that pitch, the incident has been gathering national media attention, especially after Hamels admitted he did it on purpose after the game, a move likely to end in a suspension for the Phillies’ lefty.
That isn’t something we are used to hearing these days, a pitcher admitting he threw at someone. However, Hamels pulled no punches and admitted that was exactly his intent. “I was trying to hit him. I’m not going to deny it,” Hamels said. He added, “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. 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.” Later, Hamels would clarify, “It’s just, ‘Welcome to the big leagues.’”
Welcome to the big leagues, indeed, Mr. Harper. So, how did Harper handle getting hit for the first time in his eight-game big league career? Well, after taking first base he advanced to third on a single by Jayson Werth, Harper stole home when Hamels threw to first base to keep Werth close. Harper’s first Major League stolen base came on a swipe of home on a pitcher who intentionally put him there. One couldn’t write a better story.
After the game, Harper was questioned by the media and that Hamels pitch. Harper only said, “Hamels threw a great game tonight.” Instead of getting caught up in the moment, Harper remained grounded, knew he was still only a rookie, knew that he had gotten a measure of revenge against Hamels by coming around to score and later by doubling off of the Phillies lefty. Harper kept his mouth shut.
Hamels mentioned old-school baseball as the reason he threw at Harper. Well, it doesn’t get much more old-school than stealing home. Coupled with Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann retaliating against Hamels by hitting him with a pitch in the third-inning, it was a game that Ty Cobb might have been proud of.
Harper has had one of the most publicized Major League debut’s in recent memory. The Nationals offense has struggled without Mike Morse’s bat and now, after Werth broke his left wrist in the sixth-inning of last night’s game, even more pressure will fall on Harper to ignite what has been a stagnant offense. It would be very easy for anyone to wilt under the pressure. New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter admitted he felt immense pressure as he approached his 3,000th hit last season. It would be very easy for a 19 year-old to fold it up and shrink back from the challenges. However, Harper has excelled since getting his call-up on April 28th. In 26 at-bats, Harper has eight hits, five of them being doubles, to go along with a slash line of .308/.424/.500 and three RBI’s. Oh yeah, and one stolen base. What is even more remarkable is the fact that Harper has one more walk than strikeout, five walks to only four strikeouts.
Everything Harper has done so far has been done correctly. He has shown poise, humility, and has done his talking on the field. This is a far cry from the kid who blew a kiss to Class A Greensboro pitcher Zachary Neal after hitting a home run last season while Harper was with Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League.
Baseball needs a kid like Bryce Harper and I’m just glad to see he is learning from his experiences both on and off the field. There is no doubt he is on his way to becoming one of the most dynamic young players in the game, if he isn’t there already. For now, Harper is handling himself like a pro.
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