Buster Posey caught a tremendous amount of flak in the wake of Monday’s throwdown between the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals. His decision to hang out by home plate while Bryce Harper charged toward pitcher Hunter Strickland was, undeniably, not a great look.
But what if, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports pondered Tuesday morning, the catcher’s refusal to join the scrap actually was a show of support for Strickland, not a sign of disapproval?
From Rosenthal:
What if Giants reliever Hunter Strickland told Posey that he was going to drill the Nationals’ Bryce Harper — and that Posey should not intervene if Harper charged the mound, not try to prevent a fight?
A coach with another club reached out to me and relayed that theory after I posted my original column on Posey late Monday night, a column that examined the catcher’s decision to stand frozen behind the plate as Harper went after Strickland.
I then contacted a source with knowledge of the situation, and he said that the rival coach’s theory was correct. Posey, the source said, was drawing unfair criticism for failing to defend his teammate when in reality he was adhering to his teammate’s — or perhaps manager Bruce Bochy’s — wishes.
Very interesting.
So, according to Rosenthal’s sources, Posey was just obeying Strickland’s wishes as he watched Harper aim a flurry of haymakers at the right-hander’s face. That would mean Strickland not only wanted to bean Harper for the two mammoth home runs the Nationals star hit off him two-and-a-half years ago, but he also wanted a chance to punch Harper in the face.
C’mon man, let it go.
When asked after the game why he didn’t try to block Harper’s path, Posey mentioned the danger involved in full-team brawls. He also told reporters he “kind of saw Harper’s point,” leading some to infer he wasn’t on board with Strickland’s revenge tour.
Buster Posey: "Nah." pic.twitter.com/qf4oVFvVTi
— Drew Silva (@drewsilv) May 29, 2017
Regardless of his reasoning, there’s a good chance Posey is on the receiving end of a beanball before this series is over. He’s San Francisco’s best player, and that’s usually how these types of situations play out.
The Giants and Nationals are scheduled to play each other again Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Thumbnail photo via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images
