MLB

SPRING BREAK REVISITED

TAMPA – It was a crash full of controversy, one that upset Joe Girardi. This afternoon both teams involved have the chance to resume the battle.

This may be only spring training, with the Yankees and Rays not playing for the pennant just yet and no statistics officially counting for anybody on the field. But the possibility is there for supreme intensity in St. Petersburg when the teams face each other for the first time since Saturday’s controversial ninth-inning homeplate collision.

Tampa Bay’s Elliot Johnson slammed into Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli that day, breaking Cervelli’s wrist and forcing the minor-league backstop out for what Girardi believes is going to be 10 weeks. Girardi criticized the play afterward, saying it’s wrong for someone to do that in the Grapefuit League.

The question now is whether the bad blood will carry over to today – if there will be a pitcher throwing at a hitter or a baserunner colliding with another catcher.

“I don’t see why anything would carry over. Why would it carry over?” Derek Jeter said. “I think it makes for a good story but . . . we’re in spring training. I don’t see the reason why something should carry over.”

Added Jorge Posada, “Spring training game, guys. Spring training game. Happens. It’s a freak accident. Move on. Be able to move on.”

The Yanks and Rays will have quite a few more chances to settle things, even if that doesn’t happen today. They play again Saturday in a split-squad game, then again March 21.

And 18 more times during the season.

Girardi said he didn’t have the feeling that there is unresolved hostility between the teams.

Girardi and Rays senior advisor Don Zimmer – who has close ties to the Yankees and Girardi – disagreed with what happened on the play. At the time, Girardi said, “I think it was uncalled for, it’s spring training and you are going to get people hurt and we got Cervelli hurt. . . . I am all for playing hard, but I don’t think it’s the time to run over a catcher in spring training.”

Zimmer said, “To me, our kid played it the way he thought it was right, and I think it was right. I’m surprised they made such a big thing out of it. I was dumbfounded. Of all people, I mean Girardi’s a tough guy, a tough catcher. I don’t know what spring training has got anything to do with it.”

Zimmer called Girardi “out of line” for criticizing the collision.

Girardi – who said he didn’t believe he needed to speak with Tampa manager Joe Maddon – insisted he wasn’t concerned about any fireworks today.

“I’m not worried,” he said. “It’s baseball. We’re going to play baseball [today].”

Said Shelley Duncan, “Everything I said, we’re still going to go out there and we’re going to play the game hard. Just like I said before. They showed us what is acceptable. We’re just going to go play the game.”

The issue doesn’t sound as though it’s pervading the Yankees clubhouse much. Jeter insisted, “I haven’t heard a person talk about it till now,” and Posada said there was no feeling in the clubhouse of wanting to take care of something.

“It’s not even an issue,” Duncan said.

mark.hale@nypost.com