Michael Kay is over the antics.
The long-time Yankees play-by-play announcer on YES Network expressed his disdain with the team partaking in a July 4 staredown with the Reds during his eponymous radio show on Friday.
Yankees pitchers Cody Poteet and Ian Hamilton engaged in a pre-game national anthem standoff with Reds pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers before the Independence Day showdown, delaying the game and turning into a viral sensation.
as they and a pair of Reds pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers, were
locked in a national anthem standoff. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Kay said the pitchers’ standoff with Cincinnati “cheapened the organization.”
“What are we, infants? This is the New York Yankees,” Kay said on his ESPN radio program, as covered by Awful Announcing. “The New York Yankees don’t play games like that. That’s silly, that’s stupid, it’s childish, it’s infantile. Let other ridiculous teams do that. Why would the Yankees do that? It’s dumb.”
While Yankees starter Marcus Stroman warmed up, all four players remained on the field as home plate umpire Alan Porter gestured for both sides to exit the field.
Third-base umpire Jim Wolf also asked both parties to move with no success.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone eventually asked his players to “get off” the field.
With the Yankees struggling since June, Kay was not happy with how things played out.
“It makes the Yankees look small. They’re doing a stare-off like they’re in Williamsport? Like it’s the Little League World Series?” Kay continued. “The New York Yankees, you’re wearing pinstripes, baby. You don’t do stuff like that. And you’ve been losing and playing poorly, and this is what you resort to? Come on, guys, you’re better than that.”
The Reds then beat the Yankees in an 8-4 victory to complete a three-game sweep over the Bronx Bombers.
After losing five of six games going into Saturday, the Yankees finally got back into the win column with a 14-4 victory over the Red Sox.
