Yankees fans trolled Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor during Tuesday's decisive ALDS Game 5, loudly chanting "Who's your daddy?" at the Cleveland slugger in the win-or-go-home game.
Yankees fans serenade Josh Naylor with "who's your daddy" chants pic.twitter.com/vyKTO2yqCF
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 18, 2022
Yankees fans were chanting "Who's your daddy?" when Josh Naylor was up to bat 👀
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 18, 2022
(via @daisukesugiura)pic.twitter.com/Nc8p19EIuA
Fans chanted and enthusiastically rocked their arms after Naylor flew out in the second inning, hitting the first baseman back for his viral home run celebration from Game 4.
Fans chanting “WHOS UR DADDY” @ Naylor #yankees pic.twitter.com/ibFOCkXr0V
— Sofia Fuertes (@SofiaFuertes4) October 18, 2022
Yankees fans trolling Naylor with his own celebration 🤣
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) October 18, 2022
New York leads 5-1 through 5pic.twitter.com/BKXi2BbM8x
It didn't stop with fans, either. After the game and series clinching out, Gleybor Torres mocked Naylor's celebration, as well.
Gleyber Torres celebrating the Yankees' final out with the "Rock The Baby" motion 💀
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) October 18, 2022
🎥: @MLBONFOX pic.twitter.com/Gs9uNbKmse
Torres didn't mince words after Game 5, either.
Gleyber Torres said the Yankees thought Josh Naylor “rocking the baby” was “disrespectful.”
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) October 19, 2022
“Revenge,” he said. “Now they can watch on TV.”
After hitting a solo home run off Gerrit Cole during Game 4, Naylor rocked his arms as he rounded the bases. The celebration wasn't well received by Yankees fans, and Naylor has now joined Myles Straw on the growing list of Guardians hitters that get mercilessly booed when they step up to the plate at Yankee Stadium.
MORE: Yankees' Gerrit Cole gets last laugh on Guardians' Josh Naylor following 'cute' home run celebration
Here's what you need to know about why Yankees fans are trolling Naylor.
Josh Naylor's home run celebration, explained
Naylor's arm-rocking gesture is meant to mimic the rocking of a baby. In essence, Naylor is calling Cole (or any pitcher his hits a home run off of) his son, harkening back to Pedro Martinez calling the Yankees his "daddy" during the 2004 ALCS.
Though Martinez wasn't trying to troll the Yankees, it didn't stop New York fans from chanting, "Who's your daddy?" at Martinez all the way through the 2009 World Series.
Naylor's celebration even prompted Bob Costas to say "I'm your daddy" on live television.
Here's Bob Costas saying "I'm your daddy" pic.twitter.com/GvMPkB6UZh
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) October 17, 2022
Cole, a man of few words, didn't take the bait, saying postgame, "Yeah. Whatever. It's cute."
The fans had his back in Game 5, and considering Yankees fans haven't forgotten about Straw's transgressions, it's unlikely they will forget about Naylor's celebration when 2023 arrives.
