Atlanta Braves general manager Frank Wren says a tweet from the team directed at Bryce Harper was “an inappropriate attempt at humor.”
The Braves’ official Twitter account posted “Clown move bro” after the Washington Nationals slugger was angered over being drilled in the leg by Julio Teheran on Tuesday night. It was a reference to Harper’s famous retort to a reporter, “That’s a clown question, bro.”
Harper had homered in his previous at-bat. After he was hit, both benched and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown.
The Nationals answered the Braves’ tweet with one of their own: “Which part, giving up the home run, or drilling the 20-year-old on the first pitch his next time up?”
Asked if the Nationals might retaliate in Wednesday’s game, manager Davey Johnson said: “It’s just baseball as usual” — then he paused and smiled.
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