Yankees GM Claps Back at Dodgers’ Joe Kelly For Comments After World Series
The longstanding rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees can add another chapter featuring Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
Cashman acknowledged that the Yankees “underperformed” and didn’t play their “A-game” in the World Series against the Dodgers. He also defended the team against criticism, responding to remarks made by Kelly, who had called them a flawed team.
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“First and foremost, I acknowledge we played poorly in the World Series,” Cashman said at the GM Meetings when asked about his team’s poor defense and base running being a difference.
“I also know people with the Dodgers so I’ve got some internal conversations that I’ve certainly got feedback on, I think it’s more representative of some specific players rather than the overall group,” he said. “And in Joe’s case, it feels like it’s some reason it’s a little personal, you know, the way he’s out talking like he has. So it feels like that’s more personal than anything else.
“So, I can’t make much more of it than that. I know he’s certainly talking a lot right now. And, hey he won, or they won, so, I can just say what I just said,” Cashman said.
While Cashman admitted that his team didn’t play well, he didn’t address the team’s flaws that were exposed by the Dodgers consistently throughout the five World Series games.
“It was a complete mismatch. All we knew is that we had to play regular Dodger baseball. … We didn’t have to do anything crazy, and we were going to win the World Series.
“Look at the team, look at the talent,” Kelly said. “We go through numerous scouting reports. We pay attention to every single detail. We have a lot of big superstars in our clubhouse, but our superstars also care and aren’t lazy and play hard. That’s the difference, and the biggest separator.”
Cashman said they had a “good team” and just “didn’t play our best when it counted the most.” He also doesn’t believe the Yankees were flawed.
“Every year’s different,” the GM said. “I think every one of those years we had the chance to run the table and be the last team standing or if we didn’t play our best baseball we’d be going home. This year’s team got us all the way to the championship, last year we didn’t make it, two years ago we got to wherever we got. You gotta get in and then you gotta play your best baseball to get the whole way.
“And to be the world champs you gotta be really good – which I think we produced really good teams – you gotta be healthy and you gotta be lucky. We’ll try to continue to figure out how to navigate October. We’ve done it before, but as many times, in many years the best teams going in don’t win. And it’s not because they’re flawed it’s just navigating October is difficult.”
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
KELLY IS O V E R! HE CONTRIBUTED VERY LITTLE TO THE DODGERS WINNING THE WS, & OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS HIS ERA IS OVER 4. HE’S ERRATIC ON ALL LEVELS, AND HAS ALWAYS HAD A BIG MOUTH. WE THINK, AND HOPE THE DODGERS SHIP HIS ASS OUTTA HERE…PERIOD!.
Nah, sorry, but the Yankees suck.
Joe Kelly earned the right to say whatever he wants, because he threw at Jose Altuve. He certainly earned my respect when he did that.
I, at once, can smile at him throwing at Altuve, but not defend him.
On the other hand, to paraphrase him, “I got suspended for not hitting someone, and they got nothing for cheating in the WS”
Ya know, he’s got a point there…
Kelly made an excellent point…
Whether the Yankees under performed or not, the Dodgers took nothing for granted and stepped up, as a team. What I do believe is that the Yankees played sloppy certain that they were heading to LA to win the World Series.