Paplebon does the #1 no-no in sports, touch the star player!
The Washington Nationals are clawing for the final playoff spot in a Wild Card race with the San Francisco Giants. In a game against the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday, the team saw their entire year of problems come to fruition in 10 seconds. On a routine out in the bottom of the 8th inning, Jonathan Papelbon felt Bryce Harper didn’t hustle enough when coming off the field and running to the bases. After voicing his displeasure in the dugout, things were exchanged on live TV, as the world witnessed Papelbon attempt to choke Harper in an internal fight against the team’s star player.
Fellow players eventually separated the two from going at it, and the team surprisingly allowed Johnathan to finish his job on the mound. However, the team franchise waited an entire day to make punishment, suspending Papelbon for the next four games – essentially the rest of their regular season. There’s been private talks of the team potentially firing manager Matt Williams, as this seems likely the last straw for his services beyond next weekend.