Gleyber Torres mimics Josh Naylor’s rock-the-baby taunt, savors ‘revenge’

NEW YORK — Whereas tapping second base to file the game-ending forceout that clinched the American League Division Sequence for the New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres added a movement that had simply change into all of the rave at Yankee Stadium.

Torres cradled his arms collectively in a mocking, rocking-the-baby movement, whereas obtrusive at Josh Naylor and the Cleveland Guardians dugout.

In that second, Torres thought again to what he had witnessed from his place within the Progressive Subject infield the sport earlier than — and remembered the sensation of disrespect.

“We acquired our revenge. We’re completely satisfied to beat these guys. Now they will watch on TV the following sequence for us,” Torres stated amid a champagne celebration within the Yankee clubhouse after New York polished off a 5-1 victory in Tuesday night time’s decisive Sport 5. “It is nothing private. Just a bit factor about revenge.”

Little may Naylor have identified that he had served up — silver-platter fashion — an added, surprising jolt of inspiration within the Yankees’ quest to increase their postseason.

After homering within the fourth inning of Sunday’s Sport 4 in Cleveland, Naylor made the rocking-the-baby movement repeatedly whereas giddily rounding the bases and taunting Yankees beginning pitcher Gerrit Cole. He even referred to Cole as his “son” throughout his jog to residence plate.

Very like Torres, the 48,178 followers who stuffed Yankee Stadium on Tuesday did not overlook that post-homer show. They greeted Naylor with a well-known earful — a phrase that first rang out throughout the road on the outdated Yankee Stadium in 2004.

“Who’s your daddy?”

Whereas he went 0-for-4 with one hard-hit, rally-stalling lineout, Naylor finally relished the expertise of enjoying Bronx villain.

“That was superior. That was so sick,” Naylor stated of the followers’ reception. “That was truthfully like a dream come true as a child — enjoying in an surroundings like this the place they have diehard followers, it is cool.

“The very fact I acquired that going by the entire stadium, that was sick.”

Tuesday’s chant first began as Naylor started jogging again to the Guardians’ dugout following a second-inning flyout to Yankees proper fielder Aaron Choose. By the point he reached the highest step, the mantra swelled to ranges paying homage to the time Yankees followers chanted the identical question to Boston Pink Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez through the 2004 ALCS.

Previous to the taunts to Martinez, the Sox pitcher had referred to the Yankees as his “daddy.” Later that postseason, the Pink Sox, led by Martinez, went on to interrupt an 86-year drought by successful the World Sequence.

“I knew they might give you one thing, and I sort of figured it was that chant,” Naylor stated. “If something, it sort of motivates me. It is enjoyable to sort of play below stress. It is enjoyable to play when everybody’s in opposition to you and when the world’s in opposition to you. It is extraordinarily enjoyable.

“That is why you play this recreation on the highest degree or attempt to get to the best degree: to play in opposition to opponents just like the Yankees or in opposition to the Astros or whoever the case is. All of them have nice fanbases and so they all need their residence crew to win, and it is cool to sort of play in that sort of highlight and in that stress.”

Naylor additionally acknowledged seeing Torres’ mocking postgame celebration, however wasn’t upset about it.

“I imply, you do what you have to do,” Naylor stated. “Higher win all of it. Do what you have to do.”