Dodgers News: Taylor has no regrets on talking smack about Yanks

LOS ANGELES — Dodger fans know Chris Taylor as a postseason hero of seasons past, a Swiss Army knife in the field, and now — apparently — a budding trash talk connoisseur. And while he may technically be suiting up in red this season for the Angels (still feels a little weird), Taylor proved this week that you can take the man out of Dodger Stadium, but you can’t take the Dodger out of the man.

In a recent interview with The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, Taylor stood by his headline-making comment from last November, when he said on Mookie Betts’ podcast that the Yankees “s— down their leg” during their epic Game 5 collapse in the 2024 World Series.

“Honestly,” Taylor said, “I didn’t think I was saying anything super critical, to me. I think if you would have asked them, they would have said the same thing. That’s kind of how I felt about it.”

Let’s rewind. Game 5. Yankee Stadium. The Bronx Bombers were clinging to life, trying to stave off elimination after falling behind 3-1 in the series. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead and looked poised to force a Game 6.

And then the wheels flew off in what can only be described as a masterclass in self-destruction. Aaron Judge dropped a line drive right at him — his first error of the season. Anthony Volpe, the rookie shortstop sensation, fielded a grounder cleanly but uncorked a wild throw to third. Then, to complete the comedy of errors, Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo stared at each other like confused groomsmen during a wedding rehearsal while a routine grounder rolled between them, allowing a run to score. That opened the floodgates. A few batters, and lot of boos, later and the score was tied. The Dodgers capitalized never looked back en route to securing their second World Series title in four years.

It was during the celebratory euphoria that Taylor, sitting alongside several teammates on Betts’ podcast, dropped the now-infamous line about the Yankees’ fifth-inning meltdown. At the time, fans and pundits on both coasts lost their minds — Yankees fans because of the bluntness, Dodgers fans because, well, they appreciated the honesty.

This week, Taylor made it clear he has zero regrets. “I didn’t mean any offense by it,” he explained. “To me, it was just like, I was kind of stating the fact.”

He admitted he didn’t really see the social media storm that followed the podcast, nor did he hear directly from any Yankees players. “Obviously, like, I guess we were caught up in the celebration a little bit, too, at that point,” he said. “I think all of us were maybe speaking a little more freely than we would in a typical interview.”

Still, he doesn’t feel like he crossed a line. “I don’t take back what I said. I think I was just telling the truth,” Taylor said. “I could see how people would take it personally. I could see how that would maybe put a chip on their shoulder. But, to me, it kind of was what it was.”

Taylor wasn’t the only Dodger who had something to say after the series. Joe Kelly called the Fall Classic a “mismatch from the get-go” and claimed the Yankees would’ve been “eighth or ninth” out of all the postseason teams. Miguel Rojas added his own spice, criticizing New York’s “lazy defense” and shaky fundamentals.

So here we are, in the heart of the 2025 season, and Chris Taylor is still delivering — if not on the scoreboard, then in the quote department. He may be playing in Anaheim now, but for Dodgers fans, he’ll always be the guy who turned in clutch postseason performances and spoke the unfiltered truth about whatever that was the Yankees did in Game Five.

And for what it’s worth, if the Yankees do come into the next postseason with a chip on their shoulder, well… we’re already looking forward to the rematch.

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