While professionals are paid for results there are aspects of the game that bring out the fan in them.
Last night when Aroldis Chapman featured a 102 mile an hour fastball, he faced baseball's hottest hitter in Bryce Harper. Neither backed down to the delight of fans, players and managers alike.
"I have never seen a 102 mph fastball and I don't think I want to," said Washington manager Matt Williams, who was adept at turning around a fastball in his playing days. "Not only does he throw that hard but he is halfway down the mound when he releases it. That makes it more difficult."
Reds manager Bryan Price appreciated the moment. He was able to enjoy it because it was a winning one.
“You can admire it from both sides – unless you lose the game. If it was a game-winning scenario, I wouldn’t admire it as much. There are those special moments," Price said.. "You can kind of fall back into what it’s like to be a fan when you get a chance to see those kinds of matchups and those moments". It was a great moment in a major league game,"
Chapman got ahead with two quick strikes as Harper fouled off fastballs. He took a ball then hit the 102 mph fastball back through the box.
"You can appreciate what he was able to do," Price said.
"He showed me something," Williams said. "We talk all the time about slowing the game down. He was able to do that and get the barrel of the bat on the ball."
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