Cole Hamels Admits To Hitting Bryce Harper With A Pitch ~ Major League Baseball

WASHINGTON -- Cole Hamels admits it: He plunked rookie phenom Bryce Harper on purpose.

"I was trying to hit him," the Philadelphia lefty said. "I'm not going to deny it."

That startling bit of honesty came after Hamels nailed the Washington teen with a fastball in the small of the back his first time up during the Phillies' 9-3 win Sunday night. The candid remark is also certain to cost Hamels a suspension from Major League Baseball.

Harper came up with two outs in the first inning and Hamels promptly drilled the 19-year-old.

Why, exactly?

"That's something I grew up watching, that's kind of what happened. So I'm just trying to continue the old baseball because I think some people are kind of getting away from it. I remember when I was a rookie the strike zone was really, really small and you didn't say anything because that's the way baseball is," Hamels said.

"But I think unfortunately the league's protecting certain players and making it not that old-school, prestigious way of baseball," he said.

In other words, Hamels said, "It's just, `Welcome to the big leagues.'"

Harper quickly evened the score with Hamels. After taking third on a single, Harper broke for the plate when Hamels made a pickoff throw to first. Harper stole home, sliding in safely for the first swipe of his eight-game big league career.Hamels means (I think) that Harper has had it too easy so far. He's just 19 years old (if you hadn't heard) and has been playing like a veteran. Coming into Sunday, he had four doubles and five walks in 29 plate appearances. He's been hitting the ball hard and avoiding swinging at pitches out of the zone. Hamels hitting Harper is the pitcher taking back the inside part of the plate, while also reminding the rookie to mind his elders.

But what Hamels also did was baseball speak for "We respect you." Harper, and the Nationals. Washington took two of three games in the series and showed no fear of the Phillies. That was evident even in the loss Sunday when Harper, two batters after getting plunked, stole home on Hamels' pickoff attempt to first base. Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmermann also retaliated conventionally by hitting Hamels with a pitch later in the game. Ah, the hazards of sending messages in the National League.