Boston Red Sox reliever Kutter Crawford and Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Matt Strahm were ejected and fined after their MLB national anthem stand-off.
National anthem standoffs aren't uncommon, with players keen to be the last off their respective playing fields. However, Crawford, 27, and Strahm, 31, were both ejected under new MLB pitch clock rules for not returning to their respective dugouts.
Strahm, who used to be teammates with Crawford and the rest of the Red Sox, said: "Zero of it was planned. Just, the anthem was over, and I looked across, and Kutter kind of gave me a grin, and I knew exactly what that grin meant, so [I] just stood there.
"If you know me, you know competition is everything to me, so kind of felt like I was being called out right there. Looking back on it, probably not the wisest decision I’ve made in my big-league career. I guess I should’ve known better with how strict they are with pitch clock."
Both MLB stars were fined, however, Crawford's fine is set to be higher than rival Strahm's. That's because Crawford is on the 15-day injured list at the moment.
Fortunately for Crawford, who's on a pre-arbitration contract, he'll get some help from a veteran teammate, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "If you get thrown out and you’re on the IL, you get crushed,” Cora said. "I know there’s a guy that went to the same school as him that’s probably going to take care of that.”
The player Cora is referring to, is none other than Chris Sale. Sale and Crawford attended Florida Gulf Coast University. How much Crawford or Strahm was fined is currently unknown.
Boston missed the opportunity to complete a three-game sweep of the Phillies and extend their win streak to nine games on Sunday, after falling to a 6-1 defeat at the Citizens Bank Park.
Both Boston and the Phillies sit fourth in their respective leagues after 36 and 35 games played. Up next for the Red Sox is the Atlanta Braves, while the Phillies take on the Toronto Blue Jays.
