You Can't Hold Duncan Down

Shelley Duncan

Via Peter Abraham:

The man, the myth, the legend that is David Shelley Duncan is back with the Yankees and hitting sixth today against the Indians.

Duncan was 17 for 55 with 6 homeruns, 6 doubles, 11 walks and was batting a pretty healthy .309 for the SWB Yankees this season.

Giambi Needs To Go

Shelley Duncan

In 15 games played for the Yankees this season Jason Giambi is five for forty-six, has ten strikeouts and is batting a very robust 1.09 (haha not). Now to be fair he has walked eleven times and hit two homeruns with 11 RBI's (yay!!!).

On the other hand Shelley Duncan has been wasting away for 11 games with Scranton Wilkes/Barre going thirteen for forty with six doubles, four homeruns and 10 RBI's and batting an extremely healthy .345.

Can anyone explain to me what Girardi is trying to accomplish here???

MLB Suspends Duncan, Melk-Man

Shelley Duncan

Discipline has been issued to six members of the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays as a result of the bench-clearing incident that occurred during the top of the second inning of their Wednesday, March 12th Spring Training game at Progress Energy Park, Home of Al Lang Field, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.

Shelley Duncan of the Yankees has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for his violent and reckless actions, which incited the bench-clearing incident. Unless appealed, Duncan's suspension is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 31st, when the Yankees host the Toronto Blue Jays in their first game of the 2008 Championship Season.

Jonny Gomes of the Rays has been suspended for two games and fined an undisclosed amount for his violent actions, which escalated the bench-clearing incident. Unless appealed, the suspension of Gomes is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 31st, when the Rays play at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore in their first game of the 2008 Championship Season.

Melky Cabrera of the Yankees has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for his violent and aggressive actions during the incident. Unless appealed, Cabrera's suspension is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 31st.

In addition, New York manager Joe Girardi, third base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long have been fined for their roles in the incident.

'Attaboy Shelley!!!

Shelley Duncan

It seems as though Shelley Duncan was ready to play some hardball against the Rays today.  Honestly, my first game of Spring Training missed and this is the one!!!  By the way.  Shelley Duncan is gangster. 

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has the first-person account of the incident:

It didn’t take long for the bad blood between the Yankees and Rays to surface Wednesday, as a hit batsman and a hard slide sparked a bench-clearing incident in the second inning.

Heath Phillips, starting in place of an injured Andy Pettitte, was ejected with two outs in the first after brushing Rays third baseman Evan Longoria across the chest with a pitch.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi argued the ejection, but home plate umpire Chad Fairchild stood by his decision.

Shelley Duncan led off the top of the second with a base hit to left field, which he tried to stretch into a double. With the throw beating him easily to second, Duncan came sliding hard into second baseman Akinori Iwamura, leading with his spikes.

Second-base ump Charlie Reliford immediately ejected Duncan, who had made some thinly veiled comments a few days ago about ratcheting up the intensity of the spring games against the Rays after watching Tampa Bay infielder Elliot Johnson bowl over Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli last weekend, fracturing Cervelli’s wrist.

With Duncan still on the ground following his hard slide, Rays right fielder Jonny Gomes sprinted in and jumped on Duncan, prompting both benches to clear. The two teams tangled around second base for a few minutes, though it didn’t appear any punches were thrown.

Duncan and Gomes were ejected, as were Yankees third-base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long.

Shelley Duncan Is Scared...

Shelley Duncan

 

of something.  Maybe Carl Pavano showed up at camp???

Duncan Proving He Belongs

Shelley Duncan

Shelley Duncan just smashed another homerun today.

Showing good patience at the plate, Duncan boosted his spring batting average to .636. He is now 7-for-11 with two homers and nine RBIs.

"He's done everything you can ask a man to do," Girardi said.

If he can keep it up, it's going to be hard for Girardi to ignore this animal.

Shelley Duncan Is Flat Out Ripping It Up

Shelley Duncan

After today's game against the Blue Jays, Shelley Duncan is 6 for 9 this spring with eight RBI. Pretty impressive numbers even though it is still pretty early.

Duncan is of course competing for a spot at 1st base along with Jason Giambi, Morgan Ensberg, and Jason Lane among others.

If Duncan can continue to hit like he has and play just a notch better defense at first base than Jason Giambi, look for him to start the season there.

I know Giambi wants to play full time at first base, but he needs to realize that at this stage in his career he is simply better suited as a DH where the physical demands are much less and the opportunity for injury is dramatically lower.

With Duncan at first and a healthy Giambi at DH, there is no question the Yankees offense is one of the most (if not the most) powerful offenses in all of baseball.

In other news:

Peter Abraham reports that facing the Blue Jays AAA lineup, Kei Igawa was dominating, six up and six down, 18 pitches and 13 strikes, with two strikeouts.

Spring Training Update

Shelley Duncan

SHATTERED: Jorge Posada suffered a small cut on his right calf yesterday when his bat shattered during batting practice and the barrel hit him. He was unhurt and continued to hit and do other drills. "Just a little blood," Posada said.

ACHY HIDEKI: Hideki Matsui might not be at full strength when the Yankee position players begin spring workouts Feb. 21 because of lingering soreness in his right knee, the outfielder told Japanese reporters in New York Monday. Matsui, who is slated to fly to Tampa today to talk to team doctors and trainers, was examined by a doctor in New York. Matsui said he hopes to be healthy enough that he does not have to begin spring training under a different program than his teammates.

IF AT FIRST: Jeter and Posada took batting practice with Shelley Duncan and newly signed infielder Chris Woodward. Duncan was out early to take grounders at first base under the tutelage of Tino Martinez and stayed to take throws when Jeter and Woodward took the field. Posada did multiple drills with an eight-pound medicine ball, tossing it high in the air from a variety of angles. He said it's for "core and overall strength." Though he has been working with medicine balls for about 10 years, Posada quipped, "After a while, an eight-pound ball weighs a lot." ... Several of the Yanks' young pitchers already are working out at the minor-league complex, including Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. ... Rehabbing righty Carl Pavano played catch for the second time.

VIA Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News