Former New York Yankees infielder Jon Berti didn’t hold back when addressing what he saw as blatant disrespect from the Los Angeles Dodgers following their World Series triumph.
Berti, who recently signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, expressed his frustration during an interview on Wednesday, calling out the Dodgers for their post-championship remarks.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a World Series-winning team talk this much trash about the runner-up,” Berti said on Foul Territory. “It felt like they were acting as if we didn’t even deserve to be in the World Series.”
The Dodgers clinched the championship in five games, despite the Yankees holding a commanding 5-0 lead at one point in Game 5. A disastrous fifth inning saw Los Angeles storm back with five runs, ultimately sealing their title.
Berti defended the Yankees’ postseason run, insisting they had every right to be there.
“We won a lot of games, we took our division, and we handled Kansas City and Cleveland in the playoffs,” he said. “We earned our spot, but unfortunately, we didn’t play our best when it mattered most.”
While the Yankees managed to avoid a sweep by winning Game 4, they couldn’t match the Dodgers’ dominance over the series.
“At the end of the day, we ran into a team that outplayed us in a seven-game series, and they deserved to win,” Berti admitted. “So I guess they can say whatever they want now.”
Some Dodgers players haven’t shied away from throwing jabs at New York. Reliever Joe Kelly dismissed the series as a “mismatch from the start,” while utility man Miguel Rojas criticized the Yankees for “lazy defense” and poor fundamentals.
Even Yankees manager Aaron Boone has responded to the digs, though he acknowledged the Dodgers had the right to talk after winning.
“They won, so they can say what they want,” Boone told WFAN’s Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata. “But let’s be real—it’s not like you’re hearing this from guys like Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, or Mookie Betts. It’s coming from some others. They got their championship, we didn’t play our best, and they’re on top right now. We’ll focus on getting back to that stage and breaking through next time.”
As for Berti, he struggled in the postseason, hitting just .182 in 11 at-bats before being left off the Yankees’ World Series roster. However, that hasn’t stopped him from defending his former squad against what he sees as unnecessary post-title trash talk.
