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.
↵