Johnson is full of cr*p - he could easily have tagged the back of the plate without lowering his shoulder and at full speed taking out Cervelli.

Cervelli was in front of the plate, he wasn’t blocking it at all.

Finally, since the Yankees will face RH starters in their first 3 games, Duncan shouldn’t appeal, but Cabrera should. Then let Cabrera sit out once Duncan’s back.

I don’t mind so much that Shelley was suspended; I think it was dumb of him to slide like that anyway. But Duncan was walking away, was not touching Iwamura, the friggin ump was right there and in control of the scene. Then Duncan gets hit by Johnny Goons in the back.

If Shelley got 3 games, Goons ought to get about 5 games for being “third man in.” IMO the league has a greater interest in keeping other players from expanding the fight than in critiquing slides.

And not everyone agrees that Duncan had “intent to injure”. But apparently you’re Carnac and can see into the minds of others. The play was over the top - a “too hard” play. And that is being addressed within the team. We’re willing to reevaluate when we’ve made a tactical error.

Perhaps Rays fans should take a step back and look at all this from a different perspective. I’m sure if Carl Crawford had separated his shoulder when he barreled into Quintero last week, prompting Maddon’s encouraging comments, your take on the appropriateness of that approach might take a bit different turn. Wouldn’t seem so much like “good, hard baseball”. More like stupid.

Look, I agree Gomes violation should be penalized equally, but let’s take it down a notch. Do you realy think MLB would suspend Melky without evidence? The Yanks would be so happy to appeal that, and MLB would have egg on their face - and apparently their image is just about the most important thing of all to them.

And there no reason at all to suspend Johnson. He made a play which his manager encouraged, but which the Yanks choose not to make in ST, for good reaso in my view. There’s no rule against what he did - in the regular season he’d be applauded. There’s been some difference of opinion on the matter among managers - they seem to bend over backwards to avoid criticizing their colleagues in public. It would be better if Maddon wouldn’t go so gung-ho in the spring - but apparently he feels players are incapable of discerning the difference between spring and regular season games. Or as we heard Pinella stupidly comment yesterday, he wants his guys to start winning. Does he think they’re trying to lose?