Don't know about you folks, but I've now marked down the dates of all 18 games where the Yankees play the Rays for this upcoming baseball season.
The reason is simple. We believe that in all 18 of those games between the Yankees and the Rays, there will be at least one, if not more, scuffle and/or melees. And we believe there will be some hurting going on during all of these games.
You gotta admit, the potential beat downs that may take place in these games is pretty awesome. It also makes us actually interested in at least catching the highlights from all the games where these two teams meet. Too bad Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes are playing for other teams now, or else it would be almost a certainty that some sort of heat would be packed into one of these games.
In case you missed it, this is how this whole thing started:
The feud began last Saturday after a Rays prospect plowed into Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli, breaking his wrist. On Wednesday, Duncan made a spikes-high slide that led to the benches clearing, and Gomes rushed in from right field to barrel into him.
So if you happened to miss the brawl (I don't how on earth you could miss it with all the coverage ESPN has given it), here is the video again for your viewing pleasure. And as of earlier today, penalties and fines were handed down from the league. Just as I thought should happen, Yankees manager Joe "More Fire in the Belly Than Joe Torre" Girardi was fined. Dan Patrick actually mentioned earlier on his radio show that even he thought Girardi should be fined and suspended, because basically he is a big time loser and he cries himself to sleep each and every night. Oh wait -- I mean, Patrick said that it was pretty much Girardi's fault for making such a big deal of the incident where in that first game, the Yankees catcher was taken out.
All I can say is when are we ever going to hear the Yankees stop crying about everything?? Was the Rays player not supposed to play so hard and take out the catcher because, after all, they were playing the mighty mighty Yankees? Um, are you kidding me? What's so special about the Yankees? And then Shelly Duncan (the dude kicking the other dude in the jewels in that pic above) comes out and says the following about his slide into 2nd base:
"The words that come from another team don’t affect me,” Duncan said. “It doesn’t bother me. They won’t change how I play the game. I’ll continue to play the game as hard as I can. What matters to me the most is the respect of my coaching staff and my teammates.”
And Joe Girardi had this to say about Shelly Duncan's playing style:
"Probably rubs some people the wrong way because of the way he plays so hard."
Wait a minute. It probably rubs some people the wrong way?!? You bet your ass it does. It looks like it was rubbing Akinori Iwamura's family jewels waaaaay the wrong way! Yeesh.
So this is what I don't get about this whole deal. If Shelly Duncan always just "plays so hard" and wants to "continue to play the game as hard" as he can, why in the world are you complaining about the player for the Rays playing as hard as he can, and taking out the Yankees catcher at home plate? Isn't everyone just playing their hardest when you compare to two situations? It just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
My main point is this. If you're Shelly Duncan, just be a man (hard to do with a name like Shelly, I know) and admit that you wanted to punk the Rays and get back at them. Don't make these lame "I just always play really hard" excuses. No one buys it Shelly, and you look retarded.
Of course, this is just my lowly little opinion, but even if it wasn't the Yankees (I am very glad that it was), this whole brawl situation would still be freakin' awesome. Stay tuned, my friends, there is most likely lots more to come when these two teams get together again.
