Sunday, Cole Hamels hit Bryce Harper with a pitch on purpose, and admitted to doing it on purpose. He was accordingly suspended for five games, which is basically not a suspension at all. We know what Hamels thinks about what he did. We know what Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo thinks about what Hamels did. How about some other guys around the league? Hamels said he was being old-school. Who's more old-school than Jim Leyland?
Leyland, Sveum: Managers Respond To Cole Hamels Hitting Bryce Harper
“Personally, if I was making that (suspension), it would be a 15-game suspension, at least,” Leyland said on his pregame radio interview with Dan Dickerson on Monday.
Well then. How...minorly unexpected. Care to explain?
“I don’t know Cole Hamels, so I certainly don’t have any qualms with Cole Hamels. I don’t know the man,” Leyland said. “I know he’s a very good pitcher and a very talented guy but when you come out and admit it like that. ... You know, that ball could have missed and hit him in the head or something else, I mean, when you come out and admit that I think five games is way too light, is my personal opinion.”
And Leyland continues. Jim Leyland’s been around baseball a long time - way longer than Cole Hamels has - and he doesn’t think Hamels is in the right at all. Leyland wouldn’t mind seeing baseball cleaned up a little bit. Hamels practically bragged about hitting Harper in the back. Read on as Leyland drops the word “braggadocios” right before he drops the word “thing”. Jim Leyland is a complicated individual.
How about another somewhat old-school guy in Dale Sveum? Carrie Muskat:
“I didn’t see it, but obviously, I’ve heard the quotes,” Sveum said Monday. “Interesting quotes. I don’t have any more comment on that. They were just interesting quotes, that’s for sure.”
Oh. Well thanks for your time anyway. And thank you for confirming that Cole Hamels’ quotes were interesting. I couldn’t decide if they were interesting or uninteresting, and now you have helped me to make up my mind.
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