Messages could be clear for Ramirez, Youkilis

Last week’s tiff in the dugout between Red Sox teammates Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis is gone and surely is, as Boston manager Terry Francona said, “… not the end of the world.”

The two got into the scuffling match in the same game as the Sox and Tampa Bay had a brawl on the field that featured Coco Crisp and James Shields. The dugout matter was highlighted since it occurred on the same night.

Initial reports were that Youkilis was unhappy with Ramirez not getting onto the field quickly enough when the fight broke out. Television replays showed Ramirez coming out when the bullpens emptied, not earlier with most of his teammates.

Youkilis has since been reported as saying that the incident between the two in the dugout had nothing to do with when Ramirez came out.

Other reports say the matter was related to Youkilis’ constant complaining about the strike zone and his throwing of equipment after a bad at-bat. Teammates, including Ramirez may have tired of such acts and Ramirez chose that moment to say something.

As with all such incidents that occur between or among teammates, there is a quick effort to draw the wagons in tight to end the matter, at least publicly.

Francona said at a news conference about the event, “The media have been around me long enough to know I usually answer things. Even if I don’t say something, you can see some concern.” He referred to the closed clubhouse after the matter as evidence of concern.

These are matters teams and players want to keep in-house, even when they are seen on television. The most common phrase used by everyone involved is “we have moved on.”

The matter, however, is still disconcerting for Francona and Sox fans.

In a June 6 story in the Boston Globe, Francona was asked if the tardiness of Ramirez getting to the field during the fight was part of the problem. He said, “I understand it was on TV. It was handled. We’ll move on. It wasn’t that big a deal.”

Francona speaks in very measured and thought-out words. He did not deny that Ramirez got there late nor did he say it was not at least one of the reasons for the flare-up between Ramirez and Youkilis.

Francona also did not say Ramirez actions didn’t matter. Not a “big deal” is not the same as not mattering at all.

Francona also said of the incident, “Sometimes you’re actually better off for it.”

If the incident is based on Youkilis telling Manny he needs to get off his backside a little quicker for the sake of the team when on-field matters break out, that can be a quality message. If that is the case, Manny being Manny on such occasions doesn’t cut it.

If the incident revolved around Youkilis complaining too much about bad at-bats and appearing to put himself above the team at those moments, that, too, is a quality message.

Insights into the matter will leak out over time, perhaps soon, perhaps not. Either way, the incident happened and clearly the two parties had something to say to one another and did.

Youkilis said, “We’ll talk, definitely.”

Francona will make sure that talk is behind closed doors.

bdnsports@bangordailynews.net