The first Sunday of the season is normally reserved for children -- some teams even call it kidsâ opening day.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays went a different route, paying their own tribute to the adolescents in attendance at Tropicana Field by getting into a spat (video here):
Benches clear after Tulowitzki gets Souza Jr out at second off a 3-6 DP. Looks like Tulowitzki unhappy with late slide. #BlueJayspic.twitter.com/spIan1utJg
— Laura Armstrong (@lauraarmy) April 9, 2017
Just keeping up interdivisional relations. pic.twitter.com/QnTdvMRxAG
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 9, 2017
Best we can tell, Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki took exception to Rays outfielder Steven Souza Jr.âs late slide -- to the extent he felt the need to presumably inform Souza where he could put his foot. Souza wasnât impressed and from there you had the usual display of bravado. Itâs worth noting it was the second time in as many seasons that Souza and Tulowitzki have bickered:
Souza's slide obv. not as dirty as Chase Utley's, but still VERY late, and his lead foot went right at Tulo's foot. #Bluejays#Jays#Rays
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness590) April 9, 2017
Reading Souza's lips: he goes "How am I supposed to know that?" "Get out of my face Troy." #Rays
— Steve Carney (@stevecarney) April 9, 2017
Tulo and Souza have bumped heads before... pic.twitter.com/OL4QOwTxdz
— Everything Blue Jays (@everything_jays) April 9, 2017
No punches were thrown, no ejections were issued. The children were corrupted all the same.
Souza, by the way, did strike one big blow -- later on, he hit a three-run home run to give the Rays a 4-2 lead.
