Philadelphia Phillies fans love nothing more than to hate the Atlanta Braves, but they hold a special place in their heart for right-hander Spencer Strider — a rivalry that dates all the way back to Rhys Hoskins’ instantly iconic bat spike after taking him yard in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS. With No. 99 back on the mound at Citizens Bank Park to kick off a huge NL East showdown on Tuesday night, the Philly faithful were frothing even before first pitch:
And if Strider wasn’t public enemy No. 1 in the City of Brotherly Love already, he certainly was just a short while later, when he drilled Bryce Harper in the elbow with a 95-mph fastball. Harper was forced to leave the game, although X-rays came back negative and it seems like he dodged serious injury.
Strider, for his part, went out of his way after the game to make clear how badly he felt about the incident. The righty has hardly pitched at all over the last 12 months due to elbow surgery (and a hamstring strain earlier this month that cut short his season debut), and his command isn’t nearly where he wants it just yet. It’s not like he was trying to hit anyone in the top of the first inning of a critical game; sometimes baseball can be cruel, and it’s obvious how much Strider respects Harper and regrets what happened.
“I’m not a complete sociopath, so I have some empathy,” Strider told reporters, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. “I do feel bad for him, to see a person in pain that I caused.”
“I was just pissed I hit him,” he continued. “I saw him in pain and that was tough. I’m definitely relieved he is OK. He’s one of the best players of this century. So, he needs to be on the field. That’s best for the game and it’s good for us. It’s good to compete against him.”
Did that gesture of good will do anything to calm Phillies fans? Reader, it did not. Despite the fact that Harper was seemingly OK, and despite the fact that their team eventually secured a 2-0 win over their division rival, Philadelphia dedicated the rest of the evening to cursing Strider’s name.
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Phillies fans wanted no part of Spencer Strider’s apology for hitting Bryce Harper
Hell hath no fury like a Philadelphia sports fan scorned. Harper has become arguably the city’s most beloved athlete over his time with the Phillies, and they were ready to go to war to defend his honor — no matter how sincerely Strider apologized.
On the one hand, you can understand why Phillies fans would be upset. A Harper injury would be truly devastating to a team that’s been among the hottest in baseball of late, sprinting to the top of the NL East standings. The entire city had its heart in its throat waiting for those test results, and it’s natural to want to point the finger.
On the other hand … I mean, this feels like a bit much, no? There’s zero reason to believe Strider drilled him intentionally, and you won’t find many more eloquent and human apologies from an athlete after an intense game. This feels like something everyone should just be able to move on from. Of course, this is Philly we’re talking about, so that idea is already out the window.
