In case you missed it, the Tampa Bay (no longer Devil) Rays and the New York Yankees, rivals in the American League East, are already playing like it is August and there is a division title on the line.

Wednesday afternoon, the benches cleared (VIDEO) after Yankees’ backup Shelley Duncan (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) slid in to second base with his spikes high. Okay not just high, but so high they were in danger of castrating Rays’ second baseman Akinori Iwamura (even though I’m not real certain about the castration practices of the Japanese — he could already be castrated — just kidding, he’s expecting a child). [just check out the photo from SI's story - and notice Iwamura's facial expression]

When Duncan tried to make sure Iwamura wasn’t capable of having any more children (and actually cutting a bloody gash above his right knee), Jonny Gomes came charging in from right field and gave a full body shove to Duncan causing the dugouts to erupt out onto the field.

The two teams then got into a second grade shoving match where there was a lot of standing and little action. One player (Evan Longoria) did claim to get struck in the back of the head, so it’s likely at least one punch was thrown.

Prior to the spiking and subsequent shoving, Tampa’s prized top prospect, third baseman Evan Longoria was grazed by an up-and-in pitch by Yankees’ starting pitcher Heath Phillips in the top of the first inning. Phillips was tossed from the game and both dugouts were immediately warned.

The immediate ejection and warnings stemmed from last Saturday’s game between the two teams when Rays’ young infielder Elliot Johnson plowed through Yanks’ prospect catcher Francisco Cervelli in the ninth inning of a Tampa Bay 4-1 victory. The collision at the plate will cost Cervelli 6-10 weeks after it resulted in a broken right wrist.

After Saturday’s game, Yanks’ manager Joe Girardi called the play unnecessary:

“I think it’s uncalled for. It’s Spring Training. You get people hurt, and that’s what we’ve got — we’ve got Cervelli hurt… I’m all for playing hard, but I don’t think it’s the time when you run over a catcher in Spring Training.”

Rays’ manager Joe Maddon loved Saturday’s collision claiming, “We’re playing it hard, we’re playing it right. It was a bang-bang play. However, he was nearly irate over Duncan’s slide:

“What you saw today was the definition of a dirty play. There’s no room for that in our game. It’s contemptible, it’s wrong, it’s borderline criminal. And I cannot believe they did that.”

{More info on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s games}

So we wondered, who’s to blame for this whole ordeal?

THE USUAL SUSPECTS:
1. Shelley Duncan (NY) - attempted to castrate the 5-foot-9, 175 pound second baseman

2. Akinori Iwamura (TB) - he may have smiled at Duncan wrong

3. Joe Girardi (NY) - very possible that he ordered the retaliation because of Saturday’s home plate collision

4. Joe Maddon (TB) - cheered the hard play of his young player after Saturday’s collision, which may have made Girardi order a retaliation

5. Heath Phillips (NYY) - if Phillips had better control, he wouldn’t have been tossed causing Girardi to vehemently argue the call…and possibly be angered enough to order a retaliation

6. Elliot Johnson (TB) - Johnson did break Cervelli’s wrist

7. Francisco Cervelli (NYY) - Cervelli didn’t have to block the plate

8. Evan Longoria (TB) - Keyser Soze, himself, tells everyone just how everything happened, and then leaves the batter’s box with a visible limp only to begin his normal trot once he reaches first base (ok so I made that one up to go with The Usual Suspects plot). Longoria was the one who was grazed, and he did let Duncan’s ball tip off his glove therefore giving Duncan a reason to go to second.

Let your vote be known.

Shotgun Spratling

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