Hamels suspended, ripped for 'gutless act' By QMI AGENCY

Philadelphia Phillies' Cole Hamels has been suspended for five games for intentionally throwing at a batter. (REUTERS)

Pitcher Cole Hamels was ripped Monday by Washington general manager Mike Rizzo and then suspended five games by MLB for intentionally throwing at Nationals rookie Bryce Harper.

It was a "classless, gutless act" by Hamels to deliberately hit the phenom with a pitch, Rizzo said.

Hamels, a Philadelphia Phillies left-hander, admitted after the game Sunday night that he purposely had drilled Harper in the back with a fastball in the first inning.

"(Hamels) is fake tough," Rizzo told the Washington Post.

"He thinks he's going to intimidate us after hitting our 19-year-old rookie who's eight games into the big leagues? He doesn't know who he's dealing with."

Hamels was candid after the game, saying that targeting the exuberant Harper was "just (a) welcome to the big leagues."

I'm not going to deny (throwing intentionally at Harper)," Hamels said. "It's something that I grew up watching, that's what happened, so I'm just trying to continue the old baseball ... Sometimes the league is protecting certain players and making it not that old-school, prestigious way of baseball."

Unless he appeals, Hamels will miss one start.