The whole incident that ignited with Kevin Kiermaier swiping Alejandro Kirk’s data card was such a shitshow. It’s not a good look for either team, but no one looks worse than Major League Baseball with the way they decided to “end things” by suspending Ryan Borucki. Just a brutal sequence of events that has Blue Jays fans shaking their heads for a multitude of reasons.

https://twitter.com/ArashMadani/status/1440435706371788806

Actually, it’s probably Kevin Kiermaier who looks the worst out of everyone involved in this. What a scummy move from a veteran who knew exactly what he was doing in the most public setting possible. Sure, KK told Jays’ reporter Arash Madani “the play happened so fast…didn’t know what it was, whether it was mine or not” but I don’t believe it for a second. He can argue all he wants that he could’ve mistakenly believed it was his defensive positioning card, something most outfielders have, but all it takes is one look for Kiermaier to realize it’s not that. KK knew it wasn’t his card when he looked at it, which is why he had the reaction of a dog going up and eating food off the table when his owner wasn’t looking.

“It’s a bad look for the blue jays”

Meanwhile Kiermaier: pic.twitter.com/Qtmp5t7n0j

— Rob🤔 (@RobJaysfan) September 22, 2021

You know who else also looks bad in this? The Jays and their fearless leader Charlie Montoyo. While KK is the bad guy for taking the card, Alejandro Kirk should’ve made sure he didn’t leave the field without ot. And then Montoyo sending out a pre-pubescent bat boy to go retrieve the card from the other dugout is laughable. As if Rays manager Kevin Cash is gonna see this kid asking for this card containing somewhat important secret information coming from your rivals and be like “oh sure pal here ya go”. Have some guts, go talk to your longtime friend and retrieve it yourself. Don’t leave it up to a member of the 2023 Clearwater High graduating class.

No, you can’t get mad for wearing one there. You know what you did. Yes, the pitcher has to be ejected even without warning because the intent was obvious. Pretty cut and dry situation across the board. https://t.co/6TjHZJDNPy

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) September 22, 2021

While I think it’s a ratbag move from Kiermaier to take the card, what he did wasn’t illegal. It went against the unwritten rules of baseball in my opinion which is why Borucki decided to plunk KK in his last plate appearance of the season against the Jays. MLB was fair for ejecting him right away, because it was surely intentional and the way Borucki’s teammates patted him on the back afterwards made that clear as day.

But there’s no reason for commissioner Rob Manfred to be suspending Borucki multiple games for hitting Kiermaier. The Rays broke the unwritten rules of baseball, Borucki got back at KK by hittin’ him, and that settles it. Kiermaier paid his dues by getting plunked, Borucki paid his dues by getting tossed, that should be the end of it. Major League Baseball unfairly punished the Jays by reacting to a scummy move from the Rays’ clubhouse leader and it’s bullshit.

The Rays look bad thanks to Kiermaier going out of his way to swipe Kirk’s data card. The Jays look bad for letting it happen and having their skipper be a pushover about it. But Manfred and MLB are the ultimate clowns for further reprimanding one side in a shitshow involving the unwritten rules of baseball that don’t make any sense to begin with.

After the series finale Kiermaier said he’d love to face the Jays in the postseason, and I feel the same way. Come at us and see what happens in a best-of-five series.

Rays announcer keeps saying that once Kirk dropped his scouting report on the field it’s fair game for Kiermaier to take it. What if a $100 bill fell out of Kirk’s pocket? Would that be fair game for Kiermaier to take too? What if it was a family portrait? He gets that too?

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 22, 2021

Also this is hands-down the funniest take from this whole situation. Thanks Jon Heyman for making a comment that makes absolutely no sense given the context of the incident