Michael Kay is done with the shenanigans.
The longtime Yankees play-by-play announcer for the YES Network expressed his disgust for the team’s Fourth of July standoff with the Reds on his eponymous radio show on Friday.
Yankees pitchers Cody Poteet and Ian Hamilton got into a standoff with Reds pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers during the pregame playing of the national anthem ahead of their Independence Day showdown, leading to a delay in the game and controversy.
They and Reds pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spires
The dispute over singing the national anthem continues. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Kaye said the pitching conflict with Cincinnati “degraded the organization.”
“Who are we, baby? This is the New York Yankees,” Kay said on ESPN Radio. Awful Announcing covers“The New York Yankees don’t play like that. It’s stupid, it’s silly, it’s childish, it’s immature. Let some other stupid team do it. Why would the Yankees do that? It’s silly.”
All four players remained on the field despite home plate umpire Alan Porter signaling for both teams to leave the field while Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman warmed up.
Third base umpire Jim Wolf also called for both players to move, but to no avail.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone eventually told his players to “get off” the field.
The Yankees have struggled since June, and manager Kaye was not happy with how things were going.
“It makes the Yankees look small. They’re staring at each other like they’re in Williamsport. It’s like the Little League World Series,” Kay continued. “The New York Yankees are in pinstripes. They don’t do stuff like that. They keep losing and they’re playing poorly and then they do stuff like that. Come on, you guys, don’t do that.”
The Reds then defeated the Yankees, 8-4, to record their third straight victory over the Bronx Bombers.
The Yankees had lost five of six games before Saturday, but finally got a win with a 14-4 victory over the Red Sox.
