Who made the BIGGER Mistake? Bryce Harper or Manager Matt Williams?

[cumberlandreds]

Some of us have to wear a tie to work everyday. It doesn't make us better workers but makes us look better, if anything. Running out a ground ball looks better than just making u-turn to the dugout. It at least makes it look like you are trying even though you know you are out.

[Raisor]

Some of us have to wear a tie to work everyday. It doesn't make us better workers but makes us look better, if anything. Running out a ground ball looks better than just making u-turn to the dugout. It at least makes it look like you are trying even though you know you are out.

Ties are the devils noose.

[cumberlandreds]

Ties are the devils noose.

I call it getting "noosed up" everyday for work.

[Norm Chortleton]

Here's a good column about the situation from Thomas Boswell:

Bryce Harper needed a reality check and Matt Williams gave it to him with benching

The free scorecard handed to fans this weekend at Nationals Park has a picture of Bryce Harper on the cover, running full speed, hat off and hair standing straight up. The headline: “Nothing But Hustle.”

Inside is one of those tough-guy, watch-out-world posed photos of Harper that you see in team promotions, but also in TV ads where he’s presented as some iconic established brand. The caption reads, “To be one of the most gifted athletes on the planet, he only knows one gear: Full Throttle.”

Yes, Harper was benched for lack of hustle on Saturday. Washington Nationals Manager Matt Williams cited the outfielder’s “inability to run 90 feet.”

The problem of Harper’s lack of hustle when he’s sulking extends back to last year at least. In fact, several days ago the entire team was warned that the next man who didn’t run out a ball was coming out of the game. Teammates like Harper, but they back Williams.

[Raisor]

Maybe it will get bad enough that they'll release him and the Reds can sign him.

Don't run Bryce!

[NebraskaRed]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...itting-streak/

Boswell implies (or just directly suggests) that Harper might not have been dealing with a quad issue in the first place, but that he didn't want to play a game against Jose Fernandez and ruin his 9-game hitting streak.

I don't follow the Nats/Harper too closely, but have suggestions about him like this come up before?

[traderumor]

Regardless of whether the boss is right, he is right as far as the player is concerned because he's the boss.

[dougdirt]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...itting-streak/

Boswell implies (or just directly suggests) that Harper might not have been dealing with a quad issue in the first place, but that he didn't want to play a game against Jose Fernandez and ruin his 9-game hitting streak.

I don't follow the Nats/Harper too closely, but have suggestions about him like this come up before?

Which is an absolute joke. The next day he was in the lineup and faced Adam Wainwright. If he was dodging pitchers he probably would have sat that day too.

[NebraskaRed]

Which is an absolute joke. The next day he was in the lineup and faced Adam Wainwright. If he was dodging pitchers he probably would have sat that day too.

I thought the same thing. It's just such a specific accusation from Boswell. He could have said that he's heard Harper is thinking more about himself than his team, or something.

[jojo]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...itting-streak/

Boswell implies (or just directly suggests) that Harper might not have been dealing with a quad issue in the first place, but that he didn't want to play a game against Jose Fernandez and ruin his 9-game hitting streak.

I don't follow the Nats/Harper too closely, but have suggestions about him like this come up before?

I think that tells you all you need to know about Boswell.

[Raisor]

Regardless of whether the boss is right, he is right as far as the player is concerned because he's the boss.

Ick. No.

[Caveat Emperor]

Ick. No.

Professional sports has a lot in common with the military -- it's a profession that demands clear power structures and obedience within the chain of command.

In both, there's value in letting your subordinates make lots of decisions on their own, based on their training and experience, to accomplish the mission. But, in both, there's also an absolute necessity that an order given be followed.

The manager may be a prick, he may be dead wrong, but on the field he's the boss and what the says should go. Take it up with the newspapers or the GM afterwards.

[traderumor]

Ick. No.

The boss may be an idiot, but that's for his supervisors to decide.

Of course, the underlings can always do things better. They're cute like that. "The bosses are idiots, put me in charge and this place will be AWESOME." Then they're the bosses one day and realize that they didn't know everything they thought they did. Sort of like when kids become parents.

[reds44]

Look, I don't care if guys run hard down the line or not, but when you don't you open yourself up to something like that happening.

Sometimes managers go way overboard with it to try to create some farce show of power. Narron benching Edwin for thinking he fouled a ball back was one of the biggest little league moves by a manager I've ever seen.

Trying to show a roster of 25 grown men "who is boss" is going to end poorly most of the time for a manager.

[cincrazy]

I think Williams over-reacted. I think players should be held more accountable at times, but Harper gives more of his body than anyone in that dugout. I wouldn't bench him for a one time thing, it's not like this is a recurring pattern. Williams is trying to send a message and change the culture, I get that part. But he picked the wrong guy to target. Harper has out-of-this-world talent, and he shows extraordinary hustle most games. Foolish move by Williams in my opinion.