SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Washington Nationals star outfielder Bryce Harper has generated a stir around baseball for comments made in an ESPN article published Thursday, calling the game “a tired sport” and saying that long-standing unwritten rules of conduct should be loosened to allow players more freedom to express themselves on the field.

Harper’s comments definitely generated a stir with Giants reliever Sergio Romo when he heard them. He believes Harper is way off base, and Romo said so in no uncertain terms.

“Don’t put your foot in your mouth when you’re the face of the game and you just won the MVP,” Romo said. “I’m sorry, but just shut up.”

Romo, without a doubt the Giants’ most emotional and expressive player on the field, said he learned the hard way to respect the game’s codes of honor when a teammate was hit in the face by a pitch for something he believes he may have done. He added that players can display plenty of emotion in a proper way without showing up the opposition.

“As emotional and as fiery as I am, I do my best not to look to the other dugout,” he said. “I look to the ground, I look to my dugout, to the sky, to the stands. It’s warranted to be excited. But there is a way to go about it to not show disrespect, not only to the other team but the game itself.

“I don’t agree that being able to put your hands up when you hit a 500-foot home run or punching somebody out and then staring them down, I’m sorry, it doesn’t add flair to the game,” Romo added. “That’s showing up the other guy.”

Harper’s comments appeared in a profile of the National League MVP by ESPN’s Tim Keown and was posted on the company’s website.

“Baseball’s tired,” Harper is quoted as saying. “It’s a tired sport, because you can’t express yourself. You can’t do what people in other sports do. I’m not saying baseball is, you know, boring or anything like that, but it’s the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair.

“If a guy pimps a homer for a game-winning shot … I mean — sorry,” Harper continued. “If a guy pumps his fist at me on the mound, I’m going to go, ‘Yeah, you got me. Good for you. Hopefully I get you next time.’ That’s what makes the game fun. You want kids to play the game, right? What are kids playing these days? Football, basketball. Look at those players — Steph Curry, LeBron James. It’s exciting to see those players in those sports. Cam Newton — I love the way Cam goes about it. He smiles, he laughs. It’s that flair. The dramatic.”

Romo wasn’t buying it.

“They play a different sport,” he said. “Those sports have unwritten rules also.”

Romo had advice for Harper if he thinks he can alter the game on his own, even as big a star as he has become.

“My own opinion on any of that, straight up, black and white, the game is bigger than you are,” he said. “These rules were set well before you arrived. Sorry, there’s not one person who’s going to change this game. There’s not one person who has that power, not even the head honcho (commissioner Rob Manfred).”

Romo said that if Harper feels that strongly about his position, maybe he should consider a career change.

“I’m pretty sure if someone has enough money, he can find another job if this is really tired,” he said.

After a slow start in spring games, Joe Panik is suddenly pulverizing the ball. He had three well-struck hits, including two doubles, in the Giants’ 3-1 win over Milwaukee in Maryvale, Arizona. “The first couple of games, everything was kind of happening quick,” said Panik, who is now 6 for 16 (.375) in five spring games. “Just talking with Bam (hitting coach Hensley Meulens) and Deck (coach Steve Decker), they helped me simplify things and just slow everything down and focus on getting my foot down early so I can see the ball.”

Brandon Belt, who can’t seem to catch a break in spring training, was hit on the right hand in the first inning by a pitch from the Brewers’ Jimmy Nelson. The outside of Belt’s hand was slightly swollen when he came out of the game after five innings. “It hurt really bad, but I had an idea it was probably just bruised,” he said. “It didn’t have that broken feeling. I didn’t even notice it when I was at the plate.”

Hunter Pence is still on track to make his first spring start Friday. Barring anything unforeseen, he’ll play right field. Denard Span still hasn’t made a start in center, but manager Bruce Bochy said perhaps it’ll happen this weekend.