Today in sports, the San Francisco Giants hosted the Washington Nationals. On this beautiful Memorial Day at AT&T Park, the game took an unexpected turn which has lead to much discussion.
Arguably the best player in the Major League Baseball (MLB), Bryce Harper, came up to bat to face Hunter Strickland. Top of the eighth inning and Bryce Harper steps up into the batter's box. The first pitch of the at-bat Hunter Strickland sends a 98 MPH fastball to Bryce Harper's hip. Bryce points his bat at Strickland and proceeds to run up towards the mound. As he approaches the mound he takes off his helmet and throws it on the field in Strickland's direction. Then, he throws a punch at Strickland and the two of them begin to fight. Surprisingly, it took a while for the benches to be cleared for both teams and a brawl emerged.
The main question I have after watching this brawl is....Why did Hunter intentionally hit him in the first place?! The real answer for why he did it was because he still holds a grudge against Harper stemming back to 2014.
In 2014, the Giants and the Nationals faced off in the NLDS, and he roped two home runs off Strickland. After both home runs, he paused at home plate to make sure that the ball was going over, and then he began his run around the bases.
Now, in the unwritten baseball code, everyone knows you're supposed to hit your home run, and immediately go and run the bases. Pitchers absolutely hate when a batter hits a home run and stands there to watch it go over. Therefore, that is Hunter Strickland's justification for hitting Bryce Harper intentionally 3 years later. Hunter, you need to get over it because, in my opinion, that was uncalled for.
The Giants won the NLDS and proceeded to win the World Series, so to hold a 3-year grudge is poor sportsmanship on his part.
Subsequently, this leaves room for a discussion on whether or not Buster Posey was wrong for not stepping in immediately after Harper charged the mound. Now, as a softball player, I believe that you should always defend your teammates when in public. I'm not saying you have to be friends with them, but at the end of the day, that's your teammate. So, you have to step in if someone decides to fight them.
Buster Posey waited at home plate almost throughout the whole duration of the fight. He trotted over once both teams benches were cleared and on the field. The catcher is supposed to be the first one to have the pitcher's back in a situation like this. Understandably, Strickland was in the wrong starting this fight and he did hold his ground, but Buster should have been there. Point, blank, period. If this team wants another World Series ring then they need to be on one accord having everyone's back.
