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Melees Show Rays' United Front

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 8, 2008

ARLINGTON, Texas - Edwin Jackson referred to it as "instinct," and Carlos Pena said it was "only natural" for the Rays to respond the way they did Thursday when Coco Crisp came barreling toward the Fenway Park mound like a madman.

Joe Maddon has been around the game a lot longer than any of his players, though, and he knows such a response isn't a given.

"Not every team would have reacted the way our team reacted Thursday or the way we reacted against the Yankees in spring training," Maddon said with a measure of pride.

To the manager, the Rays' no-hesitation move to defend a teammate - most recently James Shields, and in spring training, Akinori Iwamura - was a vivid indication that Tampa Bay's clubhouse really is as tight-knit as it has seemed. Hanging out and playing cards with your buddies is one thing, but diving into a bench-clearing melee is another.

"In both instances, we were the ones that were attacked, and I just liked the way that we reacted," Maddon said. "In those circumstances, if you have a team that is not tight, you're not going to see that same kind of reaction. That was sincerely aggressive in a good way, and I liked it."

Maddon has been consistent and vocal in his public support of his team's actions both in Boston and at Al Lang Field on March 12. In his view, the Rays haven't strayed from baseball's unwritten code at any point, and they have merely been forced to respond when opponents strayed past the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

"We're not starting anything," Maddon said, "but we're willing to finish it if necessary."

In March, the Yankees got upset because Elliot Johnson went in hard at home plate and collided with Francisco Cervelli, resulting in a broken wrist for the catcher. To the Rays, Johnson did the right thing because Cervelli was blocking the plate, and the Yankees' response - Shelley Duncan sliding spikes-high into Iwamura - was a thinly veiled attempt to injure.

This time around, the Rays felt Crisp crossed the line with a hard, late slide into Iwamura after he was upset with Jason Bartlett, so Shields followed the rules and drilled Crisp. But he didn't throw at Crisp's head. Instead, he got him safely on the hip and figured that made them even.

"I thought I did it professionally," was how Shields put it Friday, saying he was "shocked" that Crisp decided to escalate the situation by charging the mound.

It's important for the Rays to hold the moral high ground when they find themselves embroiled in these types of disputes. While they want to make it clear their 90-pound weakling days are over, they have no desire to be seen as bullies.

Even Jonny Gomes, who was in the middle of both melees and suspended each time by MLB for actions that escalated the incidents, said that's "definitely not the label I want as a player by any means," and that applies to his team as well.

"I don't think brawls have to break out for people to start realizing we're really trying to win," he said. "I think what's more important is an extra-inning win off Mariano Rivera, James Shields throwing up almost a perfect game against the best-hitting AL team, Scott Kazmir just flying off the DL like 'No worries,' Troy Percival doing things."

There's no doubt the way the Rays have played and the lofty place they have maintained in the standings most of the season have garnered them far more respect around the game than their dust-ups with the two AL East powerhouses.

Inside the clubhouse, though, those two heated gatherings at the middle of the field have been seen as signs of progress.

"I absolutely loved it," Shields said of seeing everyone stream onto the field Thursday. "I think that shows the kind of unity we have in this clubhouse, the camaraderie, and I think it showed us a lot about each other. We have each other's back, and that's the main thing. As far as that goes, I think we have great chemistry and unity in this clubhouse."

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