Bryce Harper Benched for No Hustle

Bryce Harper Benched for No Hustle

It was a tough break for Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper. Manager Matt Williams yanked the star player for “lack of hustle” on Saturday's game after he didn't run to first base fast enough on a groundball that looked like it was going to be a pretty easy out. Harper has been nursing a tight quad, but that bought him no sympathy. “Lack of hustle. That’s why he came out of the game. The inability to run 90 feet,” Williams said. “We made an agreement. He and I made an agreement, this team made an agreement, that when you play the game that we hustle at all times, that we play the game with intensity and a willingness to win.” Harper was a good sport, though, and took it in stride. He said he “absolutely” understand Williams’s decision and “I respect what he did. It’s part of the game.”