Jays’ Manoah honored for defending Kirk after weight barbs

TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah has been honored with a sportsmanship award for defending teammate Alejandro Kirk after the catcher was criticized online for his weight. Manoah received a roughly $73,500 ($100,000 Canadian) sponsorship prize and immediately donated it to KidSport, a Canadian nonprofit that gives children the opportunity to participate in organized sport. Earlier this month, Manoah reacted angrily when Montreal radio host Matthew Ross tweeted that Kirk was “embarrassing the sport” because of his weight and figure. Kirk, a first-time All-Star this season, is 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, according to his bio on MLB.com.