Memorial Day 2017 was supposed to be about hot dogs and afternoon baseball. Instead, it became the day we saw one of the most cinematic meltdowns in MLB history. When Bryce Harper charges mound against Hunter Strickland, it wasn't just a heat-of-the-moment reaction. It was the explosive finale of a three-year-old grudge that literally nobody but Hunter Strickland seemed to be holding.
Imagine waiting 988 days. That’s how long had passed since the 2014 NLDS. Back then, Harper had absolutely owned Strickland, launched two massive home runs, and maybe admired one a second too long. Most pitchers move on. They win World Series rings—which Strickland did that same year. But some guys just can't let it go.
The Pitch That Started a War
It was the top of the eighth inning at AT&T Park. The Washington Nationals were up 3-0. There were two outs and nobody on base. It was a low-leverage situation where nothing much should have happened. Then, the first pitch from Strickland—a 98-mph heater—drilled Harper right in the hip.
Harper didn't even look at first base. He pointed his bat at Strickland, yelled something that definitely wasn't "Happy Memorial Day," and took off.
The visual of that moment is burned into baseball history. Harper running toward the mound, trying to throw his helmet like a frisbee—and failing miserably, by the way—before finally reaching Strickland. The two of them started trading punches like they were in a Rocky movie. It wasn't the usual "hold me back" baseball scuffle. These guys actually wanted to hurt each other.
Why did Hunter Strickland wait so long?
Honestly, that’s the weirdest part of the whole thing. In the 2014 playoffs, Harper hit a pair of homers off him. One was a moonshot into McCovey Cove. Harper gave it a look. He barked a bit. It’s baseball.
But for Strickland, that moment lived rent-free in his head for three seasons.
- October 2014: Harper hits the homers.
- 2015-2016: The two teams don't face each other with these two in the game.
- May 29, 2017: The first time they meet again, Strickland goes headhunting (or hip-hunting) on the very first pitch.
Basically, Strickland decided that a regular-season game in May was the perfect time to "settle" a playoff beef from years ago. Talk about a long memory.
The Brawl That Ruined a Career
We usually talk about brawls like they're just fun highlights. "Oh look, the bullpens are running in!" But the Bryce Harper charges mound incident had a dark side that many fans forget.
Michael Morse, a massive and beloved veteran who had played for both the Nationals and the Giants, tried to play peacemaker. He jumped into the pile to break things up. In the chaos, he collided violently with his own teammate, Jeff Samardzija.
That collision gave Morse a severe concussion.
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He never played another game in the Major Leagues. Think about that for a second. A career ended because of a three-year-old grudge over a home run. It’s one of the most tragic "unwritten rules" consequences you’ll ever find.
The Legend of Buster Posey Standing Still
If you watch the replay—and you should, it's wild—you’ll notice something hilarious and telling. As Bryce Harper charges mound, Giants catcher Buster Posey just... stays there. He doesn't move. He doesn't try to tackle Harper. He doesn't even get in the way.
He basically watches Harper run past him like he’s watching a train leave the station.
People killed Posey for it at the time. "Where’s the team loyalty?" they asked. But honestly? Posey knew. He knew Strickland was being a hothead over nothing. He knew the pitch was intentional. Why risk a career-altering injury (like the one he already had at the plate years prior) to defend a teammate who’s doing something stupid?
Posey’s lack of reaction was the ultimate "I'm too old for this" move.
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Suspensions and the Aftermath
MLB didn't find the "three-year-old grudge" defense very moving. They handed out some decent-sized vacations for both guys:
- Hunter Strickland: Got 6 games. The league ruled it was clearly intentional.
- Bryce Harper: Initially got 4 games, but it was reduced to 3 after an appeal.
Harper's defense was basically: "What was I supposed to do?" If a guy throws a 98-mph weapon at you because he's mad about 2014, you're probably going to react.
The beef didn't even end there. Years later, in 2019, Harper was with the Phillies and Strickland was with the Nationals (yeah, baseball is weird). Harper ended up hitting a 116-mph home run off him. It was the hardest-hit ball of Harper's career at the time. Sometimes the universe has a funny way of settling scores without throwing punches.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're ever watching a game and see the "unwritten rules" start to play out, keep these things in mind:
- The "Why" matters: Most brawls are about what happened ten minutes ago. This one was about what happened 31 months ago. That's why it's legendary.
- Watch the catcher: The catcher’s reaction tells you everything you need to know about whether the team supports the pitcher’s decision to hit a batter.
- The cost is real: Brawls aren't just for show. Michael Morse losing his career is a reminder that "policing the game" has real-world victims.
Next time you see a batter get plunked, don't just look at the mound. Look at the history books. You might find a grudge from three years ago waiting to explode.
To really understand the intensity, you have to look at the Statcast data from their later matchups—it shows that Harper's exit velocity against Strickland remained significantly higher than his career average. The adrenaline was clearly still there.
Next Steps for You
Check out the video of the 2019 "revenge" home run Harper hit off Strickland while playing for the Phillies. It’s the perfect bookend to the story because it shows how Harper eventually won the war with his bat rather than his fists. Look for the exit velocity data on that specific homer; it’s still one of the hardest balls ever tracked at Nationals Park.