Though Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland were the ones throwing fists at each other on Monday afternoon, arguably the bigger topic of conversation has been the player who stayed far removed from the situation. Buster Posey stood up instantly when Harper was hit, but made no move to stop the slugger and didn’t chase him out to the mound until the benches were already cleared.
Some fans and writers wondered after the fight and game why Posey didn’t make a move to prevent the fight and protect his pitcher.
Buster Posey: "Nah." pic.twitter.com/qf4oVFvVTi
— Drew Silva (@drewsilv) May 29, 2017
But Giants announcer Mike Krukow joined Murph & Mac on KNBR Tuesday morning and defended the All-Star’s actions, saying Posey is under orders to avoid situations like the Memorial Day melee.
“Given his injury that took him out for a whole year, that has everything to do with it… Imagine what this team would be like without him. You have to know what he’s been told – ‘stay out of the pile.’ And you have to know the corner infielders have been told he’s not gonna be there, you need to protect. And you saw Michael Morse come in and that was his main job. Basically, Buster’s responding the way he’s been told. Buster has no choice,” Krukow said.
Posey has plates and screws in his ankle from the gruesome injury he suffered in 2011, and he has been undoubtedly the Giants’ best hitter this season. Losing him to a freak injury in a brawl could effectively end the team’s chances at turning its season around.
Krukow went on to say that Posey certainly doesn’t mean to disrespect his teammates by staying away.
“It is extremely hard for Buster not to get in that pile. So know that. But, I’m just saying, and I’m not gonna tell you who told him, I’m just saying that he’s been told, ’stay out of the pile,’” Krukow said.
The full podcast is available below. To hear Krukow talk about Posey’s role specifically, jump to the 4:25 mark.