Cole Hamels hit Bryce Harper, on purpose

[Mookie4ever]

why? How does throwing at somebody who is standing still prove anything? I can probably hit Harper with a baseball if he wasn't trying to avoid it. What's hard is striking him out. Do something that takes skill, try to show that you are better than him.

The only reason to intentionally hit him is to try to injure him. If you are using a weapon to try to injure an unsuspecting person then you are a punk.

I notice you have a Phuenef jersey in your sig, so your obviously a hockey fan. So in hockey if there was an up and coming show boating player the other team wouldnt check him extra hard or even fight him to put him in his place? I think there is no doubt he would.

Same thing in basketball where the fouls are just alittle extra hard.

Body checks are within the course of the game. Separating somebody from the puck through use of body contact is a fundamental part of the game. Trying to hit somebody with a baseball isn't, it's against the rules. If somebody goes out of their way to try to get a specific player on the other team it is to the pest's team's advantage. This is why guys like Lapierre, Claude Lemieux and Kenny Linseman have been so effective.

Subban gets a little of this and if he wants to fight that's up to him. If he doesn't want to fight then the other team gets an additional instigator penalty and the guy can get suspended for trying to fight an unwilling participant. I am completely against the concept of "self-policing" in hockey, baseball or any sport.

[wrveres]

This thread is quite comical.
So much anger over a purpose pitch.

Everytime Harper steps up to the plate against Cole Hamels, is he going to hit me will be in the back of his mind. Hamels just took the inside of the plate away from Harper. Not every ab obviously, but it was nothing more than a purpose pitch.

These people that are upset are cracking me up.

[grizfan]

If it was a purpose pitch, it doesn't look like it worked. Harper looked very comfortable in the box after that against Hamels, and doesn't appear like he would be intimidated by anyone. Also, I would think that Hamels will not want to hit him again anytime soon because if Harper charges, Cole is getting his ass kicked.

[wrveres]

After the game, "I hit him on purpose", is what supplanted the thought in the back of his mind, and it will be there every at bat Harper takes against Hamels. It's unavoidable. It's the human mind. The thought will be there.

[Skin Blues]

I seriously doubt that he's afraid to get hit again, or that it will ever be a factor. He took it like a pro and made Hamels look like a fool; why would Hamels want to do that again? The "purpose pitch" is disappearing along with the rest of the dinosaur nostalgia in baseball.

[AHF]

After the game, "I hit him on purpose", is what supplanted the thought in the back of his mind, and it will be there every at bat Harper takes against Hamels. It's unavoidable. It's the human mind. The thought will be there.

Harper will never forget the incident but it seems like a variable depending on his makeup whether he is intimidated by it and scared to get too close to the plate or whether he reacts some other way such as trying to make Hamels pay. Stealing home seems more like the latter to me. If he was afraid of Hamels hitting him, he wouldn't do something that might actually provoke him. Stealing home seems like giving Hamels the middle finger and telling him "Do what you want. I am going to beat you."

On the issue of justification, I would get that if Harper was actually showboating against the Phillies. I don't think this was about checking Harper's ego so much as an effort to rattle him and throw him off his game.

[wrveres]

I don't think this was about checking Harper's ego so much as an effort to rattle him and throw him off his game.

isn't that what I just said?

[wrveres]

The "purpose pitch" is disappearing along with the rest of the dinosaur nostalgia in baseball.

Yawn.
We just witnessed a purpose pitch, the pitcher even went out of his way to tell you what he was doing.. and then everybody was up in arms trying to figure out whats up ...

Hello. He just %&*ing told you.

[SpecialFNK]

if Hamels really wanted to be successful in rattling Harper what he should have done was have a pitch up and in inside (not near the head) but without actually hitting him, then get him out. Hamels was fortunate things didn't end up worse than just Harper scoring.

[wrveres]

if Hamels really wanted to be successful in rattling Harper what he should have done was have a pitch up and in inside (not near the head) but without actually hitting him

Next time