The Yankees Just Screwed Up!

[love_that_reefer]

Joe Girardi complained that the Rays were playing too hard (like there is such a thing) in a spring training game when a Ray collided with the Yankees catcher on a play at home plate resulting in the catcher breaking his wrist. Boo Hoo!!So what do the Yankees do? Heath Phillips plunks the very first Ray he sees and then Shelley Duncan slides into second cleats high. You stay classy! Both players were immediately tossed but Duncan wasn't fast enough as he almost gets tackles by Jonny Gomes charging in from RF causing a bench clearing number. The Yankees have now gone and done a stupid thing and that's piss off the Rays. The Rays did nothing to instigate this instant rivalry as they made a clean play. The Yankees had to resort to bush league tactics and upset a team that they have to play 18 times this season. They also have two more games this spring to play. The last thing the Yankees need to do is pissing off any teams especially a much improved team that that could hand the Yankees their first ride home in October since 1996. This is far from over and now Rays games will actually be worth watching when they face the Yankees. I am willing to bet right now that the Rays take the season series this season. The Yankees were only 10-8 last season versus the and now the Rays are looking at that big bullseye on the Yankees back!

[browntown653]

Originally Posted by love_that_reefer I am willing to bet right now that the Rays take the season series this season.

I'll take that bet.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Originally Posted by love_that_reefer The Rays did nothing to instigate this instant rivalry as they made a clean play.

They absolutely did! It's SPRING TRAINING. That's where players are supposed to be getting ready for the season, where it actually matters. Nobody cares if you win a spring training game, let alone get an extra run. What did the Rays accomplish by bowling over the Yankees catcher? NOTHING. They scored another run. Whoop-di-do. O wait, they broke his hand. That would piss me off if I were Girardi too. If it's the season, I totally understand. But what would be the alternative? You stop, take the tag, and get out. Oh no, you got tagged out in SPRING TRAINING! Nobody would care, and this whole incident would never have happened. The Rays are dumb for starting this. Should Girardi be continuing it? Maybe, maybe not. But the Rays made the first dumb move.

[BronxBomberz]

Don't worry, they will still get their ass handed by the Yankees in the Regular Season. And they will be bottom feeders.

[ljshorty89]

I disagree, Kyle. The thing is, it's not like Carl Crawford did something dumb, this was a minor leaguer trying to make his way onto a roster. He was playing hard, and that's something that even Girardi would have done as a player. Maybe it wasn't necessary, but it was NOT a dirty play, and it was NOT "wrong". Maybe you can argue that it was unnecessary, but I don't think you can tell players to not play hard just because its spring training. Even Joba said, when you don't play the way you would during the season, THAT is when you get hurt, mentally and physically. So, it's unfortunate that the catcher broke his wrist, but what we've learned is that the Yankees and Rays both have some balls, and we'll see whose are bigger this season.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

i completely understand what you're saying lou. but i think that there is a difference between playing hard and playing without your head. the thing that put this over the top for me was the situation. it's quite well known that catcher collisions often injure the runner, the catcher, or both. to me, it is excessive for the runner to take out the catcher in spring training. you can still play hard without that. it's surprising to me that the minor leaguer would put HIMSELF in danger as well, because like i said, the runner often gets hurt too. but i think, with the high rate of injury in collisions, that it crosses the line. something like diving for an outfield ball, stretching a double to a triple, or brushing a 95 mph heater by someone's shoulder would qualify as playing hard. but catcher collisions are just asking for someone to get hurt.

[love_that_reefer]

Originally Posted by BronxBomberz Don't worry, they will still get their ass handed by the Yankees in the Regular Season. And they will be bottom feeders.

10-8 record is getting their asses handed to them?

[love_that_reefer]

Originally Posted by giantsfan5689 They absolutely did! It's SPRING TRAINING. That's where players are supposed to be getting ready for the season, where it actually matters. Nobody cares if you win a spring training game, let alone get an extra run. What did the Rays accomplish by bowling over the Yankees catcher? NOTHING. They scored another run. Whoop-di-do. O wait, they broke his hand. That would piss me off if I were Girardi too. If it's the season, I totally understand. But what would be the alternative? You stop, take the tag, and get out. Oh no, you got tagged out in SPRING TRAINING! Nobody would care, and this whole incident would never have happened. The Rays are dumb for starting this. Should Girardi be continuing it? Maybe, maybe not. But the Rays made the first dumb move.

I'm sorry but you are 100% wrong here. If it's not so serious, why did Girardi pull a 180 and start treating like it was serious? The kid was trying to score and the catcher blocked the plate. if it's not serious, don't block the plate!! The Rays didn't start anything in the first place!! The Rays did nothing wrong at all. Every coach you ever had said 'treat practice as though it were a game'. Now you can't treat a game like a game? Plus the Yankees tried to retaliate twice!! Plunking a guy wasn't enough so the Yanks had to go bush league on us and cleat a guy!! The Yankees ****ed up and will have to deal with it!

[Hammer]

jonny gomes came nowhere close to tackling shelley duncan. oh sure, he ran into him, but duncan moved about one step and then the ump started pulling him back, and gomes just kinda fell back to the ground. it was a pretty pathetic attempt at a tackle, but i give gomes props for not just standing around like his name was mike mussina, and that he stood up for his teammates. props to shelley for the same thing as far as im concerned.

[browntown653]

First of all, the hit by pitch was not intentional.

I'm not condoning what Shelley did, it was probably a dirty slide, but the HBP was not intentional, it barely brushed Longoria inside.

[love_that_reefer]

Originally Posted by Hammer jonny gomes came nowhere close to tackling shelley duncan. oh sure, he ran into him, but duncan moved about one step and then the ump started pulling him back, and gomes just kinda fell back to the ground. it was a pretty pathetic attempt at a tackle, but i give gomes props for not just standing around like his name was mike mussina, and that he stood up for his teammates. props to shelley for the same thing as far as im concerned.

Gomes' tackle wasn't complete because when he was coming full speed Duncan was still on the ground. Gomes was about five feet away when Duncan stood up so instead of Gomes getting him on the ground had to change his position and didn't get to hit him as hard as he could. Duncan had no need to stand up for his teammates, Gomes did.

And to say the first pitch of the game that hit Longoria was not intentional is just being a homer and not being objective. To say it was a brush off pitch is ridiculous. He was aiming right at him and hit him. might not of been where he wanted to hit him but he got his message across.

[ljshorty89]

I'll say this. I think the catcher incident was unnecessary. However, it was NOT a cheap or dirty play. Maybe it was bad timing, maybe it was a mistake based on the situation, but he didn't do it with the intention of hurting someone. The thing you have to realize is that Shelly Duncan's slide was just as dangerous. If you ask me, the part that upsets me is that Duncan made pretty clear he was gonna do something, and Girardi didn't stop him....