Don Mattingly put Bryce Harper in his place

Last year, Dave Dombrowski tried to take Bryce Harper down a peg by publicly questioning whether the player could return to the elite ranks.

You can imagine that Harper wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that, especially since it was said in front of the cameras. It's understandable.

Still, it didn't stop him from having a strong first half of the season.

So the question I'm asking myself is: Is it a coincidence that, on the heels of his rough July, the Phillies publicly criticized him again?

What happened this time?

For those who may have missed it, Harper publicly stated that he wanted the Phillies to make improvements by the trade deadline. He even brought his outfield glove on the road, just in case his bosses wanted to go out and get some help.

And in Philly, that didn't go over well. Don Mattingly (the team's interim manager) commented on the matter, saying that if a player says something like that, it means he doesn't like the way one of his teammates is playing.

Mattingly, speaking to the media, therefore came to his players' defense.

The manager believes that no one else in his locker room feels that way (oh really?) and says that the players enjoy playing general manager.

Keep in mind that the club's president is Dave Dombrowski, but the GM is his own son, Preston Mattingly.

If you factor in the spat with Rob Manfred last year, that makes for a few unflattering stories involving Harper over the past year. He'd calmed down for a few years, but old habits die hard, I suppose.

Is the fact that he doesn't have a ring weighing on the star's shoulders? And is his future in Philly, with an aging team? It's fair to wonder.

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