Wednesday, March 12, 2008

I officially don't like Joe Girardi or Shelly Duncan

A couple of days ago, a Tampa Bay Devil Ray (yes, I know religious kooks have made them change their name to the Rays, but the hell with that) player barrelled into a Yankees catcher - and broke his wrist. (To be exact: the Devil Rays' Elliot Johnson barreling over New York catcher Francisco Cervelli last Saturday)

Well...that was just unfortunate. Baserunners are running into *catchers* all the time, trying to make them drop the ball. Yes, it may be argued that it shouldn't happen in a spring training game.

Well, today Yankees outfielder Shelley Duncan was out by a mile, but nevertheless continued to run into second base and attempt to spike Akinori Iwamura - and when you're hiking your spikes up around the thigh area that is a deliberate attempt to injure, not a "good hard play."

Then Girardi didn't control his players, but said, "You don't ever want things to get ugly, and I don't think it got ugly. I think the umpires stopped it before it got ugly," Girardi said.

"Shelley told me that he was taught when you're going to be out, you go after the ball. ... Shelley made a hard, aggressive slide, and I would have to look at a replay to really determine what I thought."

On the other hand, then Jonny Gomes ran in from right field and hit Duncan in the back, and I don't like that either. That's kind of cowardly. Run up to him, sure, but yank him around so he's looking at you, then punch him in the mouth.

So, here are my hopes. I hope the Yankees tank, and I hope the Devil Rays tank. Not because I dislike the Devil Rays, particularly, but just because they capitulated to the loons and changed their name.

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