Evidently, the Toronto Blue Jays did care that Kevin Kiermaier stole their scouting card after scoring a run. The Rays’ outfielder was plunked on Wednesday.
Kiermaier pleaded innocent on Monday night, claiming the Rays did not use the information to cheat. Both managers played nice, as they’re evidently friends off the field.
On Wednesday, Kiermaier was still made an example of by Blue Jays pitcher Ryan Borucki. The benches cleared, creating a confrontation in the infield.
Either this is all a giant misunderstanding, or one party isn’t telling the truth about hurt feelings.
Expect Rob Manfred and MLB to hand down some suspensions down the stretch, and that’ll likely hurt the Blue Jays more than the Rays, as Tampa can clinch a playoff spot with a win.
Is Kevin Kiermaier in the wrong for stealing Blue Jays card?
“When it was there, I saw a piece — the play happened so fast, honestly, the play happened so fast,” Kiermaier said. “I picked it up, didn’t know what it was, whether it was mine or not. They’re all pretty similar, and then, as I picked it up, I realized it was that.”
Yet, he didn’t give it back, which may very well be the issue at play here.
“Everything was so quick, and after I did it, I was like, ‘Dang, their scouting reports, or whatever it was, were on the ground and I grabbed it.’ Like I said, it got to the point that I’m not going to return it or do that. It’s September, whatever. I didn’t know what was going on.”
The Rays aren’t the Astros here, no one is claiming cheating at that level. Yet, Kiermaier so nonchalantly claiming he would refuse to return the card to the Blue Jays dugout shows a lack of remorse Toronto probably didn’t take well to.
Given how events transpired this afternoon, that’s a pretty safe assumption.