Will the Yankees and their fans get to hear Michael Kay on Apple TV+ Friday night?
Let's turn to Don LeGreca for an answer.
They were hoping to hear one of their local broadcasters call a potential historic moment as Yankees slugger Aaron Judge swings for his 61st home run of the season. Kay wasn't having it, however.
He said he turned down the call of the Yankees-Red Sox game because he thought it would be disrespectful to the broadcast team already in place.
"I told my bosses at YES (Network) I would rather not do the [play-by-play] on Apple because it wouldn’t be right to [Apple TV+ play-by-play commentator] Stephen Nelson. In no way would I want to big-foot someone and have him lose his gig for the night. I wouldn’t feel right doing it," Kay told Front Office Sports in a statement.
"I’m extremely flattered that the Yankees and Yankee fans wanted me to make the call, but I just didn’t feel right about it. I would be hurt if it happened to me, and although I don’t really know Stephen, I respect his position and he has earned the right to call the game," Kay added.
MORE: What channel is Yankees vs. Red Sox on today?
There was reportedly some haggling between the Yankees and YES to wrest the game from Apple TV+, but MLB and Apple shut that down. Unsurprisingly, they don't want to give up the rights to what will likely be the streaming platform's biggest game of the season.
The Yankees clinched a playoff berth Thursday night, and now Judge is looking to make history. The American League and Yankees single-season home run record is 61, held by the late Roger Maris. Judge is also in position to win the Triple Crown as he leads the AL in batting average, home runs and RBIs. All of that adds to the weight of each at-bat.
The Yankees and Red Sox have three games remaining in their four-game weekend series. Apple TV+ will show Friday's game, MLB Network will broadcast Saturday's game, and ESPN will air Sunday's game in prime time. Kay will do his weekly Sunday night simulcast with Alex Rodriguez on ESPN2.
Apple TV+, for those wondering, is offering this game free to anyone with an Apple ID. It does not require a subscription to the service.
How to listen to the New York radio call of Yankees vs. Red Sox
For those who prefer a local flair, John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman will call Friday's game on the Yankees' radio network.
Here are the local stations for listeners in the region (along with Honolulu, Tampa and Albuquerque).
MLB.com's MLB Audio is another option. It is exempt from blackouts.
