Bryce was a tool in the minors with repeated issues....agreed. He was a kid when he came up, and I think having professionals around him everyday has helped him a lot over the last few years. We've seen Harper grow over the years (I live in his market), and I appreciate his effort to treat people better. However, this is Machado's first offense that I'm aware of. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that it was a one time thing....I'm going to hold off on calling Machado classless for now. JMO.
Agreed that Harper was a very young kid with a lot of fast track pressure while in the minors. But by the same token, he was handled with kid gloves throughout that time, given every break and privilege... Which is probably part of the issue to begin with. The immaturity I get... Blowing kisses, etc. But having an instinct to plant your spikes on the back of a kid's calf/ankle with full force while at a full sprint... a firstbaseman prone and defenseless while stretching for the throw... This I don't get. Roid Rage?? Yeah, I said it!
With Machado, I would be inclined to agree with the first offense rationale... But it was really three separate offenses in short succession over one three game series.
1. Blows up over the tag play - He was clearly in the wrong here... Expecting deferential treatment over his knee apparently. Step on the field ready to play. But OK... First offense and not that big a deal.
2. Knocks the catcher out of the game on a questionable back swing - Here's where the red flag came out for me. First off and having seen it repeatedly, I think he did it intentionally. But, even if he didn't... standing there with a weird, smugly satisfied smile while the trainers helped Norris off the field showed me that there is clearly a side to this guy that I hadn't noticed previously.
3. The bat fling toward Donaldson at third - I blame some of this on Showalter for not getting his player settled down and into a more self-aware perspective... and/or out of the lineup for a breather. But without that protection, Machado showed what he's about very clearly. Not the "real deal" player that I had thought him to be. I didn't exactly call him classless... I suggested that he doesn't have the class to match his talent. But close enough... his antics were certainly classless... And mama always said 'classless is as classless does'. Just one guy's opinion.