The memory of the last World Series still cuts deep; it was a devastating collapse that shattered the New York Yankees’ championship dreams. What followed was a relentless storm of trash talk unleashed by some of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ players. They made sure the pain lingered and kept the rivals wounded. Now, as they prepare to face off their biggest rival for the first game since that night at Dodger Stadium, the Yankees’ fiercest warrior, Aaron Judge, is breaking his silence.
Despite having a 5-0 lead over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the Fall Classic, the Yankees fell apart miserably, fueled by a string of errors. One of them even came from Judge himself as he dropped a routine fly ball from utility man Tommy Edman. That made the game tied at 5-5, and it eventually ended 7-6 with the Dodgers taking home the trophy. That defensive blunder invited relentless trash talk from their opponents, but the heat especially came from players like former Dodger Chris Taylor. Though Judge preferred not engaging back then, he decided to take the narrative into his own hands this time, ahead of their upcoming clash.
In a recent conversation with The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, Judge asserted, “You’re really not trying to look much into it. I feel like their big-time players that played every day or played in the games, they really didn’t say too much. It was a lot of the guys who really didn’t do much. So I didn’t pay too much attention to it.” And Judge is absolutely on point with that observation.
Those words meant to mock the Yankees didn’t come from the Dodgers’ star players. Players like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw, or Mookie Betts weren’t the ones to take joy in embarrassing the Yanks. In fact, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone even revealed that the harshest of the words came from now Angels’ star Chris Taylor, while addressing the taunting.
During his appearance on Betts’ podcast, almost two weeks after the World Series win, Taylor didn’t hesitate before saying, “S*** down their leg,” mocking the Yankees’ defense in Game 5. And guess what? He was only watching that game from the dugout until the ninth inning. And Taylor wasn’t the only one to do this. But, of course, he wasn’t the only one.
Dodgers’ pitcher Joe Kelly said it was a “mismatch from the get-go,” and several other players like Miguel Rojas also took jabs at the Yankees’ defense. Even if some of it could be seen as part of the game’s spirit, it’s clear that certain remarks crossed the line and didn’t sit well with the Yankees players. But if anything, it has only fueled their fire, and it’s bound to burn even brighter when they face the Dodgers in what is widely considered a World Series rematch at Dodger Stadium on May 31. This proves that last October’s effects still linger, and the Yankees remain determined to settle any unfinished business.
It’s only natural that the Yankees players are looking forward to this clash. But for one pitcher, it’s for an entirely different reason: he’ll be receiving his 2024 championship ring, something only he will have in the Yankee clubhouse.
Ryan Yarbrough expected to get World Series Ring
Seems like the Dodgers still have some debts left to pay from last season. And when they face the Yankees this weekend, they intend to pay off at once. They will honour Ryan Yarbrough with a World Series ring for his contributions to the team’s championship win in 2024. But why Yardbrough, when he was donning a blue jersey by the end of the year? Well, he played for the team in October; he had pitched in 32 games during the regular season.
Initially, he may not have been recognized, but he had faith that this exected this to happen down the line. When asked about this before Tuesday’s game, he responded to The Athletic’s Brendan, saying, “I know they had reached out and said, ‘Hey, we’re planning to give it to you at some point, is that cool?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, no, I will get it from you guys when I’m out there.’”
Credit: MLB.com
His plan once he gets the ring? To “stash that thing away.” Considering the Dodgers traded him on trade deadline day in July, it’s entirely understandable. The left-hander then played for the Toronto Blue Jays, and later on March, he signed with the Yankees for a one-year, 2 million contract. And as expected, the 33-year-old is making waves in the Yankees’ pitching lineup this season. He has started four games so far and is currently 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA in 12 games.
It might be bittersweet for him to have missed last year’s World Series, but with the Yankees, he now has a real chance at October glory this season. But for now, all eyes are on the first face-off between the division leaders since the World Series, scheduled for Saturday.
The post Aaron Judge Brutally Shuts Down Ex-Dodgers Star Over World Series Trash Talk With Fiery Response appeared first on EssentiallySports.