The Jonny Gomes Award

jonnygomes.jpgI know everyone is expecting me to rail on Shelley Duncan for coming in spikes up against the Rays today, but I’m not going to do that. You don’t need me to tell you that not only is Shelley Duncan an idiot (you don’t normally tell reporters something might happen and then actually BE the one to make it happen, Little Shelley) but he thinks we’re idiots as well (is there any rational person out there who DOESN’T think what he did was planned and bush and deserving of a punch in the face?).

Joe Girardi and Duncan should have both shut up after the last game. Then today’s idiocy wouldn’t have looked so obvious. Instead of looking tough, Joe and his team look stupid and, again, bush. I’m not sure that’s what they were going for. I’m positive it isn’t. Girardi was going for that “I’m not Joe Torre and I’ll fight back when my team is wronged” vibe. But all he reminded us of was that he ISN’T Joe Torre. This is going to be a fun car wreck to watch.

Even so, let’s not focus on the negative, let’s focus on the positive: Jonny Gomes.

The 225-pound slugger took off as soon as Duncan slid into Iwamura. He knocked Duncan back a few feet, and the Yankees first baseman held his hands up as if to ask: “What did I do?”

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

Duncan said he was baffled by the benches clearing. Gomes wasn’t buying it.

“He did what he said he was going to do,” the Rays outfielder said.

Jonny Gomes has my heart tonight. And in honor of him, I’ve decided to create an award to be given randomly when the spirit moves me. You’ve guessed it already. It’s “The Jonny Gomes Award”, or “The Jonny” for short. 🙂

The Jonny will go to the player on any given night who pleases me greatly with his actions on the field.

My standards are low. A great play, a clutch hit, taking out an ass from the opposing team without actually throwing punches…

The first Jonny Gomes Award goes to (this is too easy, huh?)…Jonny Gomes.

He could have pounded Shelley Duncan into dust, but no, he just knocks him over enough to send a message. Excellent work, Jonny, excellent work.

Jonny Gomes: American (League) Hero – I salute you!

(Edited to add a quote that makes me want to hug Jonny even more!):

“I just think Duncan tried to inflict some pain on Aki,” Gomes said. “I was taught all the way from T-ball to have a teammate’s back. It’s a baseball field. There’s fans and kids watching. I had to let him know that’s not going to fly.”

(I screengrabbed the photo of Jonny off of ESPN.com – nice to see the folks at ESPN keep up to date on things like how professional athletes spell their names.)

Would YOU mess with this man’s teammates?

5 comments for “The Jonny Gomes Award

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *