page_title: 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season
section_title: June
hierarchical_section_title: 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season / Summary / June
caption_attribution_description: Bench-clearing brawl on June 5, 2008 game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays
context_page_description: The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season, was the 11th season in franchise history, and the first season in which they were known as the Tampa Bay Rays, formerly being known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. This was the third season with Joe Maddon managing the club. After being plagued by futility as the Devil Rays, amassing just a .399 winning percentage over their first 11 years as a franchise, the team finished their first season as the Rays with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses, and won their first of two division titles to date, after having finished higher than last place in the AL East just once in their first 11 seasons. In the postseason, they handily beat the Chicago White Sox 3 games to 1, and beat the defending World-Series champion Boston Red Sox in 7 games in the ALCS to advance to their first world-series in franchise history. They would go on to lose to the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games. To date, the 2008 season remains the last time the Rays have advanced past the Division Series, losing in the first round to the Texas Rangers in 2010 and 2011, to the Boston Red Sox in 2013, and to the Houston Astros in 2019.
context_section_description: Carlos Peña fractured his left index finger on June 4, and was placed on the disabled list. He returned to the team on June 26, wearing a protective padding outside of his left batting glove to help ease impact. Rays manager Joe Maddon stated that once the Rays finished interleague play, and returned to playing American League teams, he would consider putting Pena in the designated hitter role to help ease the workload on his left index finger, as the Rays were more concerned about his ability to throw the ball, more than having to swing the bat.
  On June 5 the Rays were involved in a benches clearing brawl at Fenway Park with the Boston Red Sox following a series of events leading up from the previous night's game. In the previous game, Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp attempted to steal second base, and slid into the base head first. Rays Shortstop Jason Bartlett who was covering the base on the play, knelt on his left knee while attempting to catch the throw from Catcher Dioner Navarro, which blocked the base and caused Crisp to make contact with Bartlett's leg, jamming Crisp's thumb. Crisp was safe on the play. Crisp stated that Bartlett's actions were "not something you do. You can do that, but that's shady. And he's not a bad dude, but that was shady. If you going to hurt me, I'm gonna come back and hurt you."
  In the same game, Crisp reached base in his next at-bat, and attempted to steal second base once again. On this steal attempt however, Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura was covering the bag. Unlike his previous steal attempt, Crisp slid feet first, resembling the way a runner attempts to break up a double play by sliding into the player covering the base. Crisp was out on the play. Rays manager Joe Maddon engaged in a heated argument with Crisp upon Maddon making a mound visit, with Crisp being in the Red Sox dugout at that time. Joe Maddon said after the game's conclusion, "I was not pleased with the slide. I totally felt there was intent to hurt our middle infielder and that's what I was upset with. There's no place for that when you intentionally try to hurt somebody."
  The next night, Rays pitcher James Shields hit Crisp below the waist on the first pitch in Crisp's first at-bat of the game. Crisp then charged the mound, punches were thrown by both players, and both teams' benches emptied onto the field. Shields and Crisp were ejected from the game, as well as Rays Designated Hitter Jonny Gomes.
  Following the brawl, suspensions were given to players on both teams. For the Rays, Shields was given a suspension of 6 games, and for their actions in the fight, Gomes and pitcher Edwin Jackson were given 5 game suspensions, left fielder Carl Crawford was given a four game suspension, and Iwamura was given a three game suspension. For the Red Sox, Crisp was suspended for seven games, and for their actions in the fight, pitcher Jon Lester was given a 5-game suspension, and first baseman Sean Casey was given a 3-game suspension.
  Both Crisp and Iwamura appealed their suspensions. On June 27, it was announced that Iwamura's suspension was upheld, while Crisp's was reduced to 5 games, no longer making him the longest suspended player of all involved. Iwamura was unhappy that his suspension was upheld so that he had to miss the first game of the next series against the Red Sox. Rays manager Joe Maddon stated that the decision "baffles" him and sought an explanation from the decision-makers. Both suspensions started the following day, and the decision caused Crisp to miss the next series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
  On June 12, it was reported that Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon had made comments about the incident stating that in his opinion, it was "a bunch of bull what [the Rays] did. All I got to say is what comes around goes around, man. Payback's a bitch, I'll tell you what", and that "this thing isn't all settled and done." Papelbon also said that things would be different at Tropicana Field the next time the Red Sox were there, as opposed to the last time in which the Red Sox were swept by the Rays fo
caption: The Rays and Red Sox brawl at Fenway Park, 2008.
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