Dodgers Fan Favorite Claps Back at Nestor Cortes for Saying Yankees Were ‘Better Team’ in World Series
Although right-handed pitcher Brent Honeywell is no longer with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is still defending the team this spring.
More news: Former Dodgers Outfielder Retires, Joins LA Coaching Staff
Former New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes sparked controversy when he claimed the Bronx Bombers were actually the better team in the classic World Series matchup. Like Oakland Athletics reliever Dennis Eckersley for his role in Kirk Gibson’s home run, Cortes has forever cemented himself in Dodgers lore by giving up a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in Game 1.
“We had done enough to win that game,” Cortes said. “They can talk whatever they want to talk, but we win Game 1 — which we should have — we lost 2 and 3, we win Game 4 and we should have won Game 5. Then we go back to LA up 3 to 2.
“So people can say it slipped away from us, people can say we made a lot of mistakes, which we did. But at the end of the day, we were the better team. I see it that way, and I’m sure everybody in that clubhouse sees it that way. The reality (could have been) going back to LA leading 3-2. It didn’t happen that way and they deserve all the credit in the world, they won the World Series. At the moment, they showed they were the better team.”
More news: Dave Roberts Believes Dodgers Were ‘Overlooked’ for Manager of the Year Award in 2024
Cortes’ bold statement was evidently laughable to Honeywell when he spoke on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
“I’ll tell you this, they weren’t the best team,” Honeywell said. “On paper, they weren’t the best team. Can’t say it with a straight face. They were not the best team. We were the best team. We were the better team.
“I said it the whole time, ‘Dodgers in four’. I was cranking that out in the clubhouse, ‘Dodgers in four, Dodgers in four, Dodgers in four.’ Maybe if I don’t give up 12 (runs), maybe there’s a chance (we sweep). But they weren’t the best team.”
Honeywell was an innings-eater for the Dodgers in October, and was deployed on multiple occasions to save the rest of the bullpen for a future game in the series. Honeywell was used in the second-to-last game of both the National League Championship Series and the World Series in order to preserve other relievers for the following games.
Honeywell was non-tendered by the Dodgers in November, but he will always be remembered in the 2024 postseason run.
For now, he remains a free agent, but is looking for his next home in 2025.
More news: Blake Snell Has a Picture of Clayton Kershaw in His Locker at Dodgers Camp
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Have you joined our Discord Channel yet? Be a part of the ultimate Dodgers Nation community and get VIP Nation Access! Don’t miss out on real-time Dodgers talk, call-in access to Dodgers Dougout, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive interviews, giveaways, and more!
