I was convinced the Yankees would retaliate for that bush league crap the Rays pulled last week, but I thought we’d have to wait until April to see it. I guess national Zeke Contract Extension day won’t be so dark and dreary after all:
One day after Yankees manager Joe Girardi insisted his club would not retaliate for a violent home-plate collision in Saturday’s game against the Rays, both clubs spilled onto the field at Progress Energy Park in a bench-clearing incident Wednesday.
In the first inning, Yankees starter Heath Phillips was ejected for throwing an up-and-in fastball to Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, grazing the batter and earning an immediate thumb from home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild.
Girardi vehemently protested Phillips’ ejection, at one point raising his hands to the air. Right-hander Steven Jackson relieved Phillips with two outs in the first inning.
In the home half of the first, the Yankees’ Shelley Duncan escalated the incident by sliding hard into second base, clearing both benches. Play halted for several minutes as the two clubs engaged in shoving, and at least one punch appeared to be thrown.
Duncan, Yankees third-base coach Bobby Meacham, Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long and Rays right fielder Jonny Gomes were ejected following the incident.
Vengeance is mine, sayeth Joe Girardi. I put my neck on the line for this guy by saying he’d come out guns blazing in these beanball wars and he rewarded my confidence with the kind of swift, vigilante justice that would make Jack Bauer proud. I mean he pulled out all the stops here. First he convinced everyone that the Yanks weren’t going to do anything so the Rays would be totally caught off-guard. Then he fabricated a forearm injury so Pettitte could sit this one out without incurring further controversy . And then he proceeded to give his guys carte blanche to do whatever the heck they wanted. Throw at someone’s head? Check. Take out their second baseman? Check. Send in the third base and hitting coaches as ringers during the ensuing brawl? Check. I pray to God one of the Sox pitchers is stupid enough to go high and tight on one of our guys the second week of April ’cause I can’t imagine what kind of punishment Girardi will dream up for them. My man-crush on Joey-G knows no bounds right now. Did I support the hiring of Joe Girardi? Absolutely. Did I think he’d be better than Joe Torre? Possibly. But never in my wildest dreams did I think he’d prove his supremacy just 11 games into spring training. The order for my #27 jersey is being placed as we speak…
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