For whatever reason, with less than a week before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, New York Yankees fans have to deal with old wounds being reopened. Last Thursday night, Brian Cashman talked about the team's failed Gleyber Torres-Jazz Chisholm plan after the 2024 trade deadline, and Torres responded with intent on social media shortly after.
But it all started earlier in the week when former Yankee Jon Berti, who is now with the Chicago Cubs after being non-tendered this offseason, appeared on an episode of Foul Territory and talked about New York's loss to the LA Dodgers in the World Series.
Like Aaron Boone about two weeks ago, Berti took exception to the Dodgers' trash talk after their Game 5 win that sealed the championship, which ... yes, we get it. It was admittedly insufferable, especially because non-contributors like Joe Kelly and Chris Taylor were running their mouths. But it's all over now, so why is this a topic of conversation in February? We've already written about this, but perhaps a different perspective on the matter might further mobilize fans for 2025.
If you lose the World Series as embarrassingly as the Yankees did, the winning team has the right to pummel you into the dirt. Between blowing Game 1, not scoring for 14 straight innings in between Games 2 and 3, and then completely imploding due to defensive gaffes in Game 5, there's no defending what the Yankees did. If the fans thought the Yankees' focus and fundamentals were egregious, just imagine what their competition thought.
Anyway, Berti expressed he wasn't happy with how the Yankees were disrespected, even though he was inactive for the World Series because he suffered another injury after appearing in just 25 regular season games.
Jon Berti says the Dodgers post-World Series trash talk was disrespectful to the point where it felt like the Yankees didn't belong there. pic.twitter.com/HvWKxvOlui
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 5, 2025
Former Yankee Jon Berti wasn't happy with Dodgers' post-World Series trash talk
The Yankees' narrative is that they "didn't play their best" when reaching the Fall Classic. And that's partially true. But it's not like they had their powers sapped from them after the Monstars descended upon earth briefly after the ALCS. The Yankees' weaknesses were on full display throughout the entire year, and they were neglected. It was only a matter of time before they would come back to ruin them. And they did.
Obviously, Berti was asked about this and gave an honest answer, so there's no faulting him for expressing his opinion, but this is more of the same stuff that makes the Yankees look weak. Their championship pedigree is gone. Their run from 2010-2024 has revealed that in every way possible. They've gotten beaten handily and insulted by hated rivals such as the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox. Their choking has been on full display. Every time they try to dish out trash talk, they quickly regret it. Almost every opponent of substance has sent them packing and hurled insults in their direction on the way out.
There are two things you can do when that happens: ignore the commentary or simply win. The Yankees do neither. Instead, they always have a response that makes them look even more soft or ill-equipped to handle the moment. And Berti being a former Yankee who contributed absolutely nothing is a newer version of embarrassment the organization should learn from (but won't).