As the world continues to criticize Bryce Harper for blowing a kiss in the direction of Greensboro pitcher Zachary Neal after hitting a home run off him on Monday, there's this potential silver lining: perhaps Harper was merely responding to Neal doing the same thing to him earlier in the game. Here's what the Hagerstown Herald-Mail has to say about the incident.

Monday's drama started in the first inning when Neal struck out Harper on a borderline call Harper didn't care for to end the first inning.

Some observers said Tuesday that the groundwork for the incident started there, with Neal sending a kiss in Harper's direction after the whiff.

Not that this is a defense of Harper's actions, but it at least makes more sense now. Tit for tat, eye for an eye and all of those things. 

On an unrelated Harper note, this feature by Eric Freeman on why baseball needs Harper as a villainous character is worth your time.