Do you think

Suntan Superman

WC's Resident Samoan

Players would get chastised more or less if they just told the truth? I was watching the Spring Training Recap this morning and while looking at the pictures it was blatantly obvious that Shelley Duncan slid spikes up into TB 2B Akinora Iwamura. Which was thought to be in retaliation for the Rays Elliot Johnson running over the Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli last saturday. All right so I figure it's retaliation no big deal. Whether you want to admit it or not getting the "last word" is huge in Baseball. I think we all know that here.

Then comes the after game conference and Shelley says "I didn't see anything wrong with the slide." I don't know if he should exactly say he retaliated. But for god sakes man did you SEE HOW HIGH YOUR SPIKES WERE? I have no issue with him not saying "It was retaliation but I'd much rather him have said, "Yeah I went into 2nd a little bit hard and my spikes were up" Nothing wrong there is there? I mean seriously how dumb does he think we are?

I'm to the point where I'd rather just start hearing the truth from these people. Clemens saying he used 'roids. Duncan admitting the slide etc etc etc. Dakstang iterates that we have a morally bankrupt nation. We know kids look up to these guys(whether wrong or right we don't know) but shouldn't honesty and integrity start there? They don't need to be held to a higher standard in any regard but common honesty and integrity isn't that hard to ask is iti?

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

I agree with you 100%.

Part of it is that we've come to believe that admitting any sort of mistake or wrongdoing is a sign of weakness. Think back to the 2004 Presidential election, when the whole argument against Kerry was that he was a "flip-flopper".

People make mistakes. People change their opinions. And it takes a much stronger man or woman to come out and say "Yes, I fucked up". Denying it and running away from your problems are the actions of cowards.

The Yankees are 100% wrong in this situation. They've been 100% wrong since it all started a week ago.

Like it or not, collisions at the plate are a part of the game. It's not "a part of the game when we say it's okay". It's a part of the fucking game. Deal with it. The Tampa Bay player was just some young kid trying to make the team. If he makes it to the majors or even while he's playing in the minors, there WILL be situations where he needs to barrel over the catcher. If he's not going to learn/practice doing it in spring training, when the fuck is he supposed to do it? Same thing with the catcher...there are going to be collisions in "real games". It doesnt make sense for him to not block the plate in spring training, because he needs to learn how to do it.

The fact that the catcher got hurt is an unfortunate, accidental circumstance...it's no different than if a pitcher loses his control and hits/injures a player by mistake, or a middle infielder injures his leg when a baserunner breaks up a play at second base.

Secondly, the Yankees hit Tampa's star prospect (Evan Longoria) in the first inning. Although I strongly disagree with this retaliation bullshit, I understand why they didit, and it should have been over right then and there. Duncan took it too far with his dirty slide into second.

I fucking hate baseball's "unwritten rules". Bunch of fucking babies they are...