In the wake of the Bryce Harper/Hunter Strickland fiasco that has taken the baseball world by storm, experts from across the world have given their insight as to why the brawl occurred and also offered up some logical questions. Did Strickland pay Harper back for pimping home runs two years ago? Why did Harper charge and not just trot to first base? Was there a reason Buster Posey stood like a goof ball and observed the entire brawl? On a scale of 1-10, how hilarious was it to watch Harper throw his helmet like that?
Of course the answer to that one is 10.
Harper and Bryant grew up together playing baseball in Vegas and both are primed to make a ridiculous amount of money in the next couple of years. Harper is set to hit the market after next season with Bryant probably being in that same spot three years after that. With that said, taking a 96 mph fastball to the body or head not a spot that ANY player wants to be in, let alone guys that will be ridiculously rich in the very near future.
Before yesterday’s loss, Bryant was asked his thoughts on watching the Harper/Strickland brawl and he brought up a point that most people fail to realize.
‘‘A baseball’s a weapon. Anytime you’re throwing at someone on purpose, I think there should be some harsher penalties.’’
Bryant got his wish as the MLB dished out a six-game suspension to Strickland and a four-game suspension for Harper. Bryant’s point of using a baseball as a weapon was further driven home after he made reference to an ugly minor league brawl that occurred this weekend between the Class-A West Michigan Whitecaps and Dayton Dragons.
The brawl started due to a disagreement on the base path and quickly got out of hand. Around the :25 second mark, you can see Whitecaps reliever Eduardo Jimenez fire a ball right into the middle of a group of Dayton players standing about 15 feet away.
Bryant referenced the magnitude of the pitcher’s idiotic actions.
“Man, that could have killed him if it hit him in the head from 15 feet away.”
To this day, Bryant has only been kicked out of one game in his career and that was in AAA Iowa when he told the home plate umpire “that’s on you” referring to a close strike three call. In terms of being thrown at intentionally, Bryant doesn’t think it has ever happened to him.
I’d agree with him there for the simple fact that he plays the game the right way and doesn’t try to show up opposing pitchers no matter how big of a moon shot he hits. And as we all know, he’s hit PLENTY of shots that he could have admired. I’m hoping there’s never a time that a pitcher decides to throw at him intentionally because that poor pitcher will have an entire Cubs dugout (and millions of Cubs fans) threatening serious bodily harm on him.
