In a shocking incident this past weekend, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler was the victim of a bold robbery at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Buehler and his wife, McKenzie Marcinek, were reportedly surrounded by a mob when one of the criminals unbuttoned the MLB pitcher’s shirt sleeve and took his watch.
The Dodgers player was robbed of his high-end timepiece, which is valued at approximately $100,000.
It’s unclear when exactly the incident took place, but ABC 7 originally reported it was over the weekend. Neither the Dodgers or the Arcadia Police Department have provided much in the way of details and information at this point.
Buehler is preparing to pitch in Game 3 of the NLDS tonight against San Diego.
Walker Buehler Robbed – How Will It Affect Him?
Walker Buehler, at one point considered to be a viable replacement for the great Clayton Kershaw, has had his share of struggles in recent years. A good portion of that has been due to injury.
The robbery has added an extra layer of drama to his season, which has already been challenging due to performance issues and recovery from his second Tommy John surgery.
Will the robbery have a psychological effect on his performance in Game 3? The Dodgers can’t afford for him to be off his game with the Padres poised for an upset.
The series is currently knotted up at 1. On Sunday, the Padres clobbered Los Angeles 10-2 on the strength of six home runs.
The game was marred by fans throwing debris on the field and an incident in which Padres third basemen Manny Machado, a former Dodger, is accused of throwing a baseball at manager Dave Roberts.
Everyone’s A Target In Crime-Riddled California
The incident goes to show that a brazen wide-open crime like that can take place anywhere in California. Santa Anita Park is much closer to Los Angeles than either San Diego or San Francisco.
Yet, during the offseason, San Francisco Giants co-owner Buster Posey stated that his team may have lost out on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes to the Dodgers because of crime in his team’s city.
“There’s been a bit of uneasiness with the city itself as far as the state of the city with crime and drugs,” Posey told reporters.
If a star the caliber of Buehler – a two-time All-Star and World Series champion – can be a target alongside his wife, then anybody on the team could succumb to an attack in California.
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