Yankees' Broadcaster Fires Back at Toronto Analyst for ‘Hanging on the Rim’

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 2:56 PM ET

Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay isn’t backing down after his recent comments about the Blue Jays. Before Sunday’s Subway Series finale on the YES Network, Kay fired back at Toronto’s broadcasters, defending his earlier remarks and taking a jab at their antics.

During his radio show, Kay had made a comment that the Blue Jays were “not a first-place team” based on their run differential, referencing advanced analytics from sources like Baseball Prospectus. His said his intention wasn’t to discredit Toronto but to point out that their performance didn’t entirely align with the numbers. He called it "gutty and gritty" play that had landed them in first place despite the odds.

However, his words were quickly misinterpreted, and Toronto’s broadcasters fired back.

Blue Jays’ broadcaster Jamie Campbell waved a broom during the postgame show, signaling a sweep over the Yankees. Without naming Kay, Campbell gloated saying a certain broadcaster would have to call the Blue Jays a first place team on his radio show this week.

Kay fired back hard.

“I can say the Blue Jays are a first-place team, because I’m not a fawning fan boy. I’m a broadcaster." He went on to clarify that his comments had been taken out of context, explaining that he was actually complimenting the Blue Jays for playing their way into the top spot.

But Kay wasn’t done.

He took another shot at Campbell’s broom-waving act, saying, “Imagine if (YES Network studio analyst) Jack Curry was waving a broom on the Yankees’ postgame show. He’d probably be called into the office and shortly fired after that.” He joked that the whole scene looked more like "Mayberry RFD" and quipped, “You shouldn’t hang on the rim three minutes into the third quarter of a basketball game.”

Despite the back-and-forth, Kay made sure to emphasize his fondness for Toronto, calling it "one of the greatest cities in the world for me."

The next round between Yankees and Blue Jays, and apparently their broadcaster, is back in Toronto beginning July 21.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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