After a frustrating weekend for the New York Yankees, which ended in a sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins, longtime YES Network voice Michael Kay found himself at the center of fan criticism. Much of the pushback stemmed from how he called Friday night’s loss, particularly his reaction to the grand slam that tied the game. The Yankees held a 9-4 lead in the seventh inning before the Marlins stormed back.
Michael Kay Pushes Back on Fan Criticism Over Calling Games Without Bias originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After a frustrating weekend for the New York Yankees, which ended in a sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins, longtime YES Network voice Michael Kay found himself at the center of fan criticism. Much of the pushback stemmed from how he called Friday night’s loss, particularly his reaction to the grand slam that tied the game.
The Yankees held a 9-4 lead in the seventh inning before the Marlins stormed back. Outfielder Kyle Stowers delivered the key blow, a dramatic grand slam as part of the furious comeback. Miami ultimately won the game 13-12, completing one of the Yankees' worst meltdowns of the season.
Following the game, Marlins broadcaster Stephen Strom took note of Kay's call on the Stowers grand slam. Strom pointed out that he described the moment with genuine excitement, despite the fact it came at the Yankees expense.
Kay responded to Strom, pushing back on the notion that his role is to only cheer for the Yankees.
Michael Kay (@RealMichaelKay) on last night's game with @SStrom_ 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/UKArSc9EDv
— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) August 2, 2025
“You want to be fair to everybody, you want to be fair to the business,” Kay told Strom. “It almost seems like it makes you more of an outlier. Because around baseball, you see an opposing team hits a home run and the guy just talks it through. And I could never be like that."
He added that not all fans appreciate this approach.
But to tell you the truth, on social media, the Yankee fans don’t like it. They don’t like it at all. ‘Why are you getting excited?’ I get excited for the game of baseball. So if somebody threw a no-hitter against the Yankees, I’d get excited.”
Kay's call may have stood out, but so does his integrity. In an era of team-first broadcasting, he remains committed to calling the game, not just rooting for laundry.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
