New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is set to face the Cleveland Guardians in the playoffs once again after sharing a contentious encounter with first baseman Josh Naylor back in 2022.
Naylor, a first-time All-Star in 2024, went a quiet 0-4 with three strikeouts as Cleveland fell 5-2 to New York on Monday in the first game of the 2024 ALCS. However, he was one of the central figures when the teams met in the 2022 ALDS.
Cole stepped in on short rest as the Yankees were facing elimination in Game 4 of the 2022 series. New York was leading 3-1 in the fourth inning when he served up a home run to Naylor.
As the Cleveland slugger rounded the bases, he mimicked “rocking a baby” in his arms while mouthing “he’s my little ——- son” to his team’s dugout.
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Cole got the last laugh: he survived seven innings as the Yankees staved off elimination to win 4-2. When asked about the celebration postgame, he scoffed.
“Yeah, whatever. It’s cute,” Cole said. He was then asked, “So it seemed like it did bother you a bit,” to which Cole responded, “I didn’t see it in the moment. It wouldn’t have bothered in the moment, and it just is kind of funny.”
Cleveland pitcher Triston McKenzie clarified Naylor’s intention: “Nayls, when he hits homers off people, he calls them his son. Hence the rocking the baby as he runs around the bases.” He also hit a home run off Cole in the 2020 Wild Card Playoffs.
New York second baseman Gleybor Torres returned a “rock the baby” celebration back at Cleveland as the Yankees clinched a Game 5 victory in 2022 (
Image:
Getty Images)
Naylor was serenaded with chants of “Who’s your daddy” by New York fans back at Yankees Stadium for Game 5, an homage to their disdain for former Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez.
After getting destroyed by Yankees hitters in a 2004 start, the Red Sox ace told the media “What can I say? Just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddies.”
When New York second baseman Gleyber Torres stepped on second base to secure the final out of the series, he swiftly hit the same “rock the baby” celebration.
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“We got our revenge,” Torres said. “We’re happy to beat those guys. Now they can watch on TV the next series for us. It’s nothing personal. Just a little thing about revenge.”
Naylor was delighted to play the villain. “That was awesome. That was so sick,” Naylor said of the fan reaction. “That was honestly like a dream come true as a kid — playing in an environment like this where they’ve got diehard fans, it’s cool.”
Cole, a six-time All-Star and the 2023 American League Cy Young Winner, missed half the 2024 season with an elbow injury. He’s currently wrapping up the fifth year on a nine-year, $324 million contract signed with the Yankees ahead of the 2020 campaign.
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