AP Photo Courtesy Getty Images by Al Messerschmidt

Last week, new Yankee skipper made a big stink about Ellis Johnson’s collision at the plate with catcher prospect Francisco Cervelli. In comparison to what took place yesterday in the latest Spring Training incident between the Bronx Bombers and D-Rays, it paled in comparison thanks to Shelly Duncan’s antics.

While trying to stretch an infield hit into a double, the big first baseman/designated hitter got his spikes up dangerously high while sliding into Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura yesterday afternoon igniting a near brawl with predictably both benches clearing before things settled down.

While no punches were thrown despite Rays’ outfielder Jonny Gomes jumping up on top of Duncan to protect a defenseless teammate, there were heated words from each side afterwards.

“In Tampa, that play you saw at home plate was a good, hard baseball play. What you saw today was the definition of a dirty play,” Tampa manager Joe Maddon fumed to reporters of a game which also saw Yankee lefty Heath Phillips immediately tossed for hitting Rays’ prospect Evan Longoria with a pitch.

“There’s no room for that in our game. It’s contemptable. It’s wrong. It’s borderline criminal, and I could not believe they did that.”

Both sides were warned prior to the meaningless exhibition game. So much for that thought process.

“I’m pretty sure the spikes weren’t that high. They were pretty much going straight at the glove,” a defensive Duncan expressed later though replays seemed to indicate otherwise. “I’ve done it before. Never had a reaction like that.”

If the second-year player competing for playing time in a crowded lineup was trying to send a message, he certainly got Tampa Bay’s attention.

“No question that was a blatant attempt to hurt Aki,” Maddon declared.

“It was set up. It was planned. It was premeditated. It’s all the above. I don’t know what the difference is between that and a high stick in hockey. But it was that bad.”

Who knows what was going on through Duncan’s mind? His new manager did voice a strong opinion a few days prior basically indicating that his team won’t get pushed around. Previous Joe Torre teams always went about their business quietly on the field and didn’t push the envelope. It’s clear that with a new sheriff in town, Girardi’s trying to set a different more aggressive approach.

“You don’t ever want things to get ugly, and I don’t think it got ugly. I think the umpires stopped it before it got ugly,” Girardi indicated.

“Shelley told me that he was taught when you’re going to be out, you go after the ball. … Shelley made a hard, aggressive slide, and I would have to look at a replay to really determine what I thought.”

Meanwhile, Gomes played down his role in the latest incident which also saw Yankee coaches Bobby Meacham and Kevin Long ejected.

“I wasn’t really trying to get a shot in on him. I probably could have done a lot of things worse,” he said. “But it is a baseball field, and there are fans and kids watching.”

So, what will happen when these AL East competitors get together for 18 serious games during the 2008 season? Will there be fireworks?

“When we go out and play the Yankees the next time, we’re going to play it hard and play it right. Period,” Maddon said getting in one final dig. “That’s how we come to the ballpark every day.”

One thing is clear. It should be quite interesting when the two teams get together for real early next month when the Rays visit The Stadium for four.

Keep your calendars circled.