NEW YORK -- Catcher Rod Barajas sat in a comfy couch and read aloud a New York tabloid's account of the brawl in the fall:
"Reserve infielder John McDonald also was spotted by TV cameras landing a punch to the head of Joe Girardi in the middle of the scrum to the first-base side of home plate."
Girardi, the New York Yankees manager, said in his media briefing before last night's game, that McDonald did not hit him.
"He was quite disturbed his name was mentioned, he was a peacemaker," Girardi said of the chat the two had at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon behind home plate, almost the same spot Yanks catcher Jorge Posada and Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson charged one another touching off a bench-clearing brawl, featuring plenty of punches.
"It wasn't McDonald, I got elbowed accidentally by one of my players," said Girardi, who wouldn't say who the player was. "It was an accident, he was trying to pull someone off. I don't want McDonald to have a bad name. He's a local kid (East Lyme, Conn.), a good man. From watching the tape, I didn't see John McDonald touch me."
When the two were finished talking behind home plate, they shook hands.
"I wasn't there to apologize to him," McDonald said. "I wanted him to know that the only reason I was even on the field was to help break people apart. That's what he was doing. That's what everyone was doing."
Well, now that we know McDonald has been cleared of all charges, found innocent and released on his own recognizance to wander from one end of the Jays bench to the other, let's move on to those found guilty by Bob (Bull) Watson, Major League Baseball's chief disciplinarian.
Both Carlson and Posada were suspended four games for "aggressive and inappropriate actions." The suspensions were dropped to three games when both players decided not to appeal. Each will pay $3,000 US fines.
Posada was not in the original Yanks lineup last night because a stiff neck, the result of Tuesday's wrassling matches.
Shelly Duncan, spotted throwing haymakers also was suspended three games, however, the backup Yankees first baseman will appeal.
Barajas was fined $1,000 for verbal abuse and will appeal his fine. Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long and reliever Edwar Ramirez also were fined undisclosed amounts.
"I saw on replays Ramirez trying to pull me out of the pile, until then I had no idea," Barajas said. "Ramirez was pulling me one way, Duncan was pulling the other."
Barajas said he was happy that he didn't hear anyone say: "OK, make a wish."
Manager Cito Gaston said he was not angry about the ruling.
"I might have been if I had received the three games," Gaston said.
After Aaron Hill was hit by a pitch in the top of the eighth -- the eighth Jays to be hit by Yankees pitchers in the previous five games -- Carlson threw a slider behind Posada's back.
Posada started toward the mound yelling at Carlson. Later Posada scored and elbowed Carlson, who was behind home plate on Brett Gardner's double to right.
"Was he in the wrong place? We had Shawn Camp break the wrong way on a bunt the other night in Detroit," Gaston said. "I remember when Dave Winfield killed the sea gull at Exhibition Stadium in 1983. They asked Billy Martin if he thought Winfield did it on purpose. Martin said: 'No, I haven't had an outfielder hit a cut-off man all year.'
"By that I mean sometimes on plays, guys don't always go where they are supposed be."
After slowing little pulse or fire since May, the Jays showed some on Tuesday night.
Just in time for the final 16 games.
BOB.ELLIOTT@SUNMEDIA.CA
