SB Nation DC - Phillies Vs: Nationals: Washington Loses Finale, 9-3; Jayson Werth Suffers Broken Wrist

Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo Fined For Remarks About Cole Hamels

2012-05-08T21:33:15Z

In a completely unsurprising move, Major League Baseball has fined Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo for his comments about Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels. Those comments, reprinted in full here, included words like "chicken[bleep]," "gutless," and "fake tough."

The amount of the fine was not disclosed, but it was presumably a small amount, as CBS' Jon Heyman described it.

just to clear this up, hamels is paid during his 5-game ban. he was fined, but fines for this are usually 5, 10 grand tops
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) May 8, 2012

We wrote about this in depth earlier today, and nothing in this ruling surprises us at all. If Mike Rizzo had picked up the phone and answered Adam Kilgore with a 'no comment,' his wallet would be a little heavier today. Likewise, if Cole Hamels hadn't broken the fourth wall, he'd be making his next scheduled start rather than being pushed back a day in the rotation.

Curtain down, and that's a wrap, people.

Cole Hamels, Bryce Harper, And Baseball's Kabuki Theater

2012-05-08T16:12:09Z

Here's what Philadelphia pitcher Cole Hamels said after being asked whether he intentionally hit Nationals rookie outfielder Bryce Harper with a pitch in the first inning of Sunday night's game.

I was trying to hit him. 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.

If Hamels really wanted to be honest with himself, the media, and the fans, here's what he should have said.

Bet your ass I hit him on purpose, and I'd do it again. Why? Because I could, and because I thought it would be fun. Seriously, you hear the way people talk about this kid? Been in the big leagues a week and his manager's already comparing him to Mantle. F--- that s---.

If that makes Hamels seem like a high-functioning sociopath, well, you're not wrong. If you haven't figured out by this point in your sports-watching life that most great athletes, and, in particular, great baseball players have a little of that in them, then I really don't know what to tell you.

The problem with both the real and fictional Hamels quotes above (and what ultimately earned him a five-game suspension from Park Avenue) is that they broke the fourth wall in the great kabuki drama that is the unwritten rules of baseball. Now, just about everything in life has unwritten rules. They're called etiquette. But no walk of life has as many unwritten rules so strenuously enforced as baseball.

Hamels was enthusiastically joined in his walk outside the lines by Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, who called him both "chicken[bleep]" and "gutless." The full outburst may or may not have earned Rizzo a private reprimand from MLB, but it's hard to blame him. Just as it's hard to blame Hamels for wanting to send a message to a 19-year-old who's OPS-ing .924 against big-league pitching and whose team had taken the first two of three in a series that was increasingly looking like a passing of the torch in the National League East, Rizzo's horrified reaction at the sight of his prize position player prospect taking one in the kidneys is perfectly understandable

The young man at the center of all this, Mr. Harper, played his part with admirable coolness, saying:

"He's a great guy, great pitcher and knows how to pitch. He's an All-Star. It's all good."

Harper knows that there are other forces at work here. This as as much about a GM who has been under pressure to shake a moribund baseball town awake and a staff ace who had watched his team's grave get danced on for the previous two days as anything else.

The question of whether this will force some sort of larger action on Major League Baseball's part is hardly worth considering. This is certainly not the first time a pitcher has hit a batter deliberately, and it definitely won't be the last. Anyone who quickly flipped the schedule calender over to see when Hamels might pitch against Washington next (by our reckoning, he'll take the mound again on May 23 at Citizens Bank Park), or has even participated in the communal "OOOOO" followed by the rising, inarticulate sound of anticipation knows that this sort of thing captures the imagination of fans almost as much as a perfect game or game-winning home run.

No, it doesn't make perfect sense. But if you haven't figured out by now that very little about baseball makes perfect sense, then you've got a lot of catching up to do.

Phillies P Cole Hamels Suspended 5 Game For Hitting Nationals OF Bryce Harper

2012-05-07T21:23:31Z

Major League Baseball has suspended Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels for five games. Hamels is being suspended for intentionally hitting Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in a Sunday night win. The suspension translates to one missed turn in the rotation for Hamels.

BREAKING: Phillies LHP Cole Hamels suspended 5 games and fined for intentionally throwing at Nationals OF Bryce Harper.
— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2012

Hamels might not even miss a start, thanks to an off day on Thursday. Matt Gelb from the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out that if Hamels started his suspension on Monday, Roy Halladay could pitch Saturday on regular rest.

The Phillies will not appeal the suspension, according to Howard Eskin of 94 WIP radio in Philadelphia.

The incident happened in the first inning of Sunday's game. Hamels beaned Harper on the first pitch of his at bat. The pitcher later copped to the intentional hit, but the reasons for it remain vague. Harper stole home after getting on base thanks to Hamels.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

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VIDEO: SB Nation Studios Re-Opens The Case Of 'Bro Vs. Douchebag'; Considers Cole Hamels Vs. Bryce Harper

2012-05-07T21:05:15Z

Lots of people have come out and given their two cents since Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels admitted that he meant to hit Washington's Bryce Harper in Sunday night's game.

Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo called it a "chicken[expletive], gutless act." Charlie Manuel said Hamels should have been more discreet. Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. expressed his disappointment in his ace. Rob Dibble acted incoherently on Twitter.

But there were two people that we had yet to hear from in determining whether Hamels' frontier justice, baseball-style was justified. Those would be SB Nation Studios' Dan Rubenstein and Matt Ufford, who considered the merits of the case as framed around that ongoing argument: Bro vs. Douchebag.

The video is below. Keep in mind that this is meant to be funny, and we humbly suggest that anyone who takes offense to this should go down to their local pharmacy and do a Supermarket Sweep of the blood pressure medications.

Enjoy.

Mike Rizzo Calls Cole Hamels 'Gutless' For Hitting Bryce Harper, Calls For Suspension

2012-05-07T15:23:50Z

Cole Hamels hit Bryce Harper with the first pitch he threw him on Sunday Night, then later admitted that he had done so intentionally. He claims that it was an old school baseball act, and that he was just trying to send a message. According to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, Mike Rizzo disagrees. And he does so vehemently.

"Cole Hamels says he’s old school? He’s the polar opposite of old school. He’s fake tough. He thinks he’s going to intimidate us after hitting our 19-year rookie who’s eight games into the big leagues? He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with."

It's pretty surprising to hear the GM of a team use that kind of verbiage to talk about another player, but then again, Hamels was throwing intentionally at Bryce Harper, one of the most important players in the Nationals organization. Rizzo continues.

"This goes beyond rivalry and all that stuff," Rizzo said. "This points to, you take the youngest guiy in baseball. He’s never done a thing. And then Hamels patted himself on the back. Harper’s old school. Hitting him on the back, that ain’t old school. That’s [bleeoping] chicken [bleep]."

He also mentions that Bryce Harper plays old school, and that his response was a throwback to the way the game used to be played, not Hamels instigating act. In fact, I'm not really sure what message Hamels was trying to send to Harper by hitting him. Wouldn't a better message have been striking Harper out (like Stephen Strasburg did to Matt Kemp in Los Angeles last weekend)? Maybe he didn't think he could.

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Phillies Pitcher Cole Hamels Admits Hitting Bryce Harper Was Intentional

2012-05-07T14:27:08Z

The Nationals were on ESPN on Sunday night in the biggest stage they've played on in quite some time. When Bryce Harper, the reason a lot of people were likely watching, got hit in the first inning on the first pitch of his first at bat, it certainly looked intentional. Well, we don't have to assume any longer. Here is Cole Hamels admitting that he intentionally hit Harper, from Baseball Nation.

"I'm not going to injure a guy. They're probably not going to like me for it but I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't trying to do it. I think they understood the message and they threw it right back. That's the way, and I respect it. They can say whatever they want."

It's one thing to intentionally hit a guy, that happens all the time. But the thing about the unwritten rules about Baseball is that they are unwritten. They are also not spoken. Hamels might be hearing from the Commisioner on this one, because it really isn't acceptable to admit that you hit a guy on purpose.

With Hamels coming out and saying that he threw at the Nationals phenom, Harper looks even better than he did last night. Harper took the hit in stride and quietly went to first base. He then stole home moments later, because the best revenge really is living well. Maybe the whole thing really is a sign of respect for Harper and the Nationals.

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Jayson Werth Injury: Nationals Outfielder Suffers Broken Left Wrist, According To Report

2012-05-07T03:29:57Z

The worst news for Jayson Werth and his injured left wrist has been confirmed.

After leaving the game in the top of the sixth inning, reports began to surface after the Philles and Nats went final that Werth had indeed suffered a broken wrist. Kevin Jones of WUSA9 tweeted this:

Breaking news: Jayson Werth has a broken wrist. Not sure of timetable. Will see a specialist tomorrow. Out at least 6 week. @wusa9
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) May 7, 2012

Werth dove for a ball that was hit by Philadelphia's Placido Polanco and after making the catch, his left wrist turned and bent awkwardly underneath him. He was clearly unable to make the play and left the game immediately afterwards.

The timetable for how long he will be out is uncertain at this time, but the best guess is that Werth will be out for at least six weeks.

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Nationals Vs. Phillies Final: Philadelphia Avoids The Series Sweep Against Washington

2012-05-07T03:07:48Z

The Philadelphia Phillies avoided being swept by the Washington Nationals Sunday night at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. after a dominating ninth inning performance.

The Phillies went into the final inning with a slim 3-1 lead, but put the game completely out of reach by scoring six runs in the top of the ninth. Juan Pierre his an RBI single that scored Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino hit a triple that scored the aforementioned Pierre, Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer to left field and Freddy Galvis hit an RBI single that scored Carlos Ruiz and Placido Polanco.

The Nats did manage to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it wouldn't be enough.

Philadelphia registered 13 hits in the ball game while Washington had eight while also leaving as many men on base and going two for five with runners in scoring position.

For more on this series and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. For some perspective from the other dugout head over to The Good Phight, SB Nation's Philadelphia Phillies blog. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

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