Michael Kay wants to make it very clear that he and former YES Network announcing partner John Flaherty remain on very good terms.
“I had never had friction with John Flaherty in my life, ever,” the Yankees play-by -play announcer said on Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Kay Show. “That was not anything that I wanted nor anything that I was comfortable with.”
Flaherty’s contract wasn’t renewed after the 2025 season following a 20-year stint with YES, and some conspiratorial viewers seemed to think Kay had something to do with it.
“I love John Flaherty,” Kay said. “I thought that John Flaherty was one of the most valuable people that we had at the network.”
The ESPN New York host added that he believes the rumors of his disdain for Flaherty stem from a 2024 YES broadcast of a Yankees-Cubs game, which sounded incredibly awkward to many viewers.
Extremely uncomfortable moment during the Yankees and Cubs broadcast on YES network as @RealMichaelKay and John Flaherty come off like bitter passive aggressive ex lovers…
What the hell was this?
Def looking forward to hearing about this on Kay’s show. pic.twitter.com/uf04G0J0A2
— Frank Pellegrino (@FrankP614) September 6, 2024
“You weren’t very talkative on the bus this morning to the field, but as I was driving here, I was thinking it would be great to get a place that’s close so you could walk back and forth,” Flaherty said to Kay during the 2024 broadcast. “I know you mentioned Don Zimmer living in the apartments out in center field. But I just had a lot of time to think on the team bus today, because it was very quiet.”
“So you’d rather me be chatty? I wasn’t feeling great,” replied Kay.
“I haven’t seen you in a long time, right? You don’t work road trips anymore when I’m on the road,” Flaherty chirped back. “So I thought we would catch up, and it quickly was evident that you weren’t in the mood, so I gathered my thoughts about how it would be nice to live close to Wrigley and walk back and forth to the park.”
“Interesting narrative that you’re putting together, because I’ve been told by executives that you prefer to work with [Ryan] Ruocco,” replied Kay. “That’s why you two guys are matched up all the time. That’s just what I heard, I don’t know if there’s any truth to it.”
“I just put together that the road trips you don’t want to go on are the ones where I end up working with Ryan Ruocco, because you don’t want to work the games on the road,” Flaherty responded.
The incident caused so much consternation that Yankees GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone both asked about the awkward interaction afterward.
During the next day’s broadcast, Kay and Flaherty pushed back against the narrative that they hated each other, saying they bicker all the time and like each other very much, and eventually hugging it out in the booth.
Michael Kay and John Flaherty address Friday’s exchange on Saturday’s YES Network broadcast at Wrigley Field.
Meredith Marakovits adds, “Guys, you would not believe the chatter in the (Yankees) clubhouse today about the two of you.”
Kay: “Are you serious?” ⚾️🎙️📺 https://t.co/CoTWMrIgnU pic.twitter.com/FreBqEpxOW
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 7, 2024
Even though they made it clear that there were no hard feelings, the presumption that the two have real animosity apparently lingers.
Kay wanted to make it abundantly clear this week that he and Flaherty remain close, even though their working relationship is now over.
“We’re still absolute friends,” Kay said.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.