Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

by J.D. on Mar 14, 2008 2:50 PM EDT

Jonny Gomes was hit with a two-game suspension and $2,000 fine today for charging Shelley Duncan from the outfield after Duncan went spikes up on Akinori Iwamura this past Wednesday, to be effective from the March 31 regular season opener. Duncan was given a three-game suspension as well as a fine of an undisclosed amount. Also handed a three-game suspension and fine was Melky Cabrera for punching Evan Longoria in the head after the benches cleared.

Also of note, Elliot Johnson, Jonny Gomes and Evan Longoria will make the trip to Lake Buena Vista to play the Braves on Saturday in lieu of the Yankees game, an effort by Maddon to cool things off between the clubs.

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Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

Class act that Melky Cabrera is.

by R.J. Anderson on Mar 14, 2008 3:02 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

So let's see, a running attempt to tackle from behind is sticking up for one's teammates, while a punch in a scrum on the field is a lack of class. In a court of law, both are called assault.

Please, people, an attempt at evenhandedness. I'm not defending Duncan here. nor am I defending Cabrarea. Throw punch, you're suspended. Fair enough. But now we've got people trying to determine intent to injure - according to friedman, yes on Duncan, but no on Gomes. It would be nice if someone down there at least said "look he shouldn't have done that but got caught upin theheat of the moment".

Don't know where the Cabrera punch thing came from, hadn't heard about it before today. But I'm sure it happened - MLB couldn't suspend Cabrera without evidence. But is it possible that in the scrum, something happened that could have incited Cabrera? Not saying it did, just saying it may have. He threw, he's suspended. That is appropriate. But let's not just assume that happened in a vacuum - it was likely a bit heated out there. On both sides.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Mar 14, 2008 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

you gotta be joking...gomes shoved duncan.

you don't shove someone with the intent to injure...

by websterjtc on Mar 14, 2008 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

Right, so a bunch of Yankees pushing and punching a guy who had nothing to do with the incident = Gomes pushing the idiot who started it.

What could Longoria have done to get punched in the back of the head with 5-10 seconds, it didn't seem like too many Rays cared to fight.

by R.J. Anderson on Mar 14, 2008 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

I think we are seeing some fire in joe maddon that we never saw before. No more Robo Joe!

by websterjtc on Mar 14, 2008 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

There are many possible explanations, among them that Maddon has changed or that he is learning or that he is responding to public demands that he act more aggressively in public.

But I think it is more likely, because I don't think fundamental character traits change so much or so quickly, that he has always been tough and fiery, but that he accommodates his public face to the needs of the situation. Until now, he needed to be nurturing and somewhat non-confrontational (although he may have been very fiery in private situations). Now, his situation is different and so his responses are calculated to address the new situation.

And it is also possible that he has always been aggressive on the field, but that fans were misled by stereotypes (wine, California, glasses, intellectual commentary) and by his manner in press conferences. As noted before, his record of being tossed from games was in the middle or upper middle range of manager ejections last year.

by bobr on Mar 14, 2008 3:45 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

I find the punishments surprisingly fair. I was worried they were going to drop the hammer on Jonny.

by GomesSweetGomes on Mar 14, 2008 4:10 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

So does that mean Joe checks Duncan's bat if he ever makes it to the Majors again?

by Sandy Kazmir on Mar 14, 2008 4:15 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Discipline from Wednesday's Incident

I believe that the most telling commentary is that the Yankee manager and two Yankee coaches were fined for their involvement. Duncan and Cabrera are just goons. Has anyone heard from the 'real Yankees' in this regard; Pettitte, Jeter, Posada, Rivera? I know that Posada said that he didn't have a problem with Johnson's slide. I just wonder if there is division on the Yankees team about this. I really think that Girardi is the big loser in this fiasco in the eyes of his veteran players. It could make for an interesting year in New York City!

by Rayon on Mar 14, 2008 5:15 PM EDT reply actions

Crashes and Brawls aside...

I think Girardi will be a great manager for the Yankees and Maddon will be riding his bike to games for quite a few years.

What comes out of Girardi's statements are probably not the way he truly feels, but I think sometimes you have to take the path of least resistance when it comes to NY fans and NY media.

Watching the video I don't think Gomes had intent to injure, but intent to show he's the Alpha Male. He slowed down before he hit Duncan and he pretty much knew he'd be held back by the rest of the team. He could have absolutely steamrolled Duncan if he wanted to.

www.lbacentral.com

by SeanDubbs on Mar 14, 2008 8:10 PM EDT reply actions