Playing to Win the Game?

Recently there's been a fair bit of controversy in the baseball world about the Yankees-Rays feud. If you don't know what happened, one of the Rays players barreled into the catcher, and the catcher, a minor league prospect, broke his wrist. The Yanks' manager, Joe Girardi, got mad at the hard, but clean, play, as it was after all an exhibition. Joe Maddon, the Rays manager defended his player. When they played again, Shelley Duncan slid into second hard with his spikes up. A brawl ensued, and 3 players have been suspended, and Girardi fined.

Both sides have decent arguments, but I have to side with the Rays on this one. Playing to win the game is never a bad thing, even if it's just a spring training game. The play was within the rules, the injury was unfortunate, but those things happen in baseball. If Girardi wanted to get back at them, he should have thrown at one of the players. He gets hit, then it's done. But spiking a fielder is a dirty play.

Was it classless? No, but I don't think the Yanks, or any team, should play that way. That said it does make the AL East more interesting.