2008 Woodie Awards
New Rivalry Brews in Bronx
Mike Duffy
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: Sports
Recent controversial plays in baseball's spring training may have set the table for a new rivalry in the American League.
The Tampa Bay Rays, who have been the cellar team in the American League East for their entire existence, only 10 years, are butting heads with one of the most storied franchise in all of sports, the New York Yankees.
During a spring training game on, Rays player Elliot Johnson, their number one draft pick in 2007, barreled through Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli while trying to score. Cervelli broke his right wrist on the play while applying the tag. It was a controversial decision by Johnson, as he could, and maybe should, have chosen to slide to avoid the tag. On his way back to the dugout, Johnson was greeted with high fives and smiles all around, even though he was called out on the play. Four days prior to this incident, a different but star player for the Rays, Carl Crawford, ran over a Houston Astros catcher on a similar play at the plate.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi was understandably angry after the game, saying the play was uncalled for in spring training. On the opposite side, Ray's manager Joel Madden saw nothing wrong with the play. Johnson and Crawford also had the same sentiment, saying they were only playing hard; the way baseball is suppose to be played. This raises the topic for debate: how hard should the game be played during spring training? Are the games meaningless?
The next time the Rays and Yankees met, tensions were obviously high. Both teams were warned by the home plate umpire prior to the game, but the Yankees did not heed the warning for long. In the first inning, Yankees pitcher Heath Phillips threw at Ray's top prospect Evan Longoria, grazing his chest. Phillips was immediately ejected from the game and once again both benches were warned.
In the next inning, Yankees first basemen Shelley Duncan tried stretching a single into a double, which required a slide in order to reach second safely, but this was no ordinary slide. Duncan, in essence of Ty Cobb, slid with his spikes high into Ray's second basemen Akinori Iwamura. Iwamura received a gash along his thigh and Duncan was thrown out twice - on the play and from the game.
The Tampa Bay Rays, who have been the cellar team in the American League East for their entire existence, only 10 years, are butting heads with one of the most storied franchise in all of sports, the New York Yankees.
During a spring training game on, Rays player Elliot Johnson, their number one draft pick in 2007, barreled through Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli while trying to score. Cervelli broke his right wrist on the play while applying the tag. It was a controversial decision by Johnson, as he could, and maybe should, have chosen to slide to avoid the tag. On his way back to the dugout, Johnson was greeted with high fives and smiles all around, even though he was called out on the play. Four days prior to this incident, a different but star player for the Rays, Carl Crawford, ran over a Houston Astros catcher on a similar play at the plate.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi was understandably angry after the game, saying the play was uncalled for in spring training. On the opposite side, Ray's manager Joel Madden saw nothing wrong with the play. Johnson and Crawford also had the same sentiment, saying they were only playing hard; the way baseball is suppose to be played. This raises the topic for debate: how hard should the game be played during spring training? Are the games meaningless?
The next time the Rays and Yankees met, tensions were obviously high. Both teams were warned by the home plate umpire prior to the game, but the Yankees did not heed the warning for long. In the first inning, Yankees pitcher Heath Phillips threw at Ray's top prospect Evan Longoria, grazing his chest. Phillips was immediately ejected from the game and once again both benches were warned.
In the next inning, Yankees first basemen Shelley Duncan tried stretching a single into a double, which required a slide in order to reach second safely, but this was no ordinary slide. Duncan, in essence of Ty Cobb, slid with his spikes high into Ray's second basemen Akinori Iwamura. Iwamura received a gash along his thigh and Duncan was thrown out twice - on the play and from the game.
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