Several people deserve credit for the New York Yankees winning Game 4 of the World Series Tuesday night. Anthony Volpe was the MVP of the game, the Yankees bullpen held firm for five scoreless innings, and Stephen A. Smith did what??
The ESPN personality and New York sports fan was understandably upset after the Yankees lost Game 3 on Monday. His optimism was not evident, but he turned on another gear Wednesday morning while discussing the Yanks' first win of the series.
“You thought they were gonna get swept, I know I thought they were gonna get swept,” Smith said on First Take. “Then Volpe, Grand slam in Yankee Stadium! I gave them the motivation they needed.”
Smith was donning a Yankees hat with a bat in hand, while MLB commentator Jessica Mendoza and sports media personality Christopher Russo played into the bit and joked with Smith.
Stephen A. Smith is not very well known for his baseball takes, but he is a true New York sports fan. With his show in New York, he has to play it up even if he doesn’t lock into every Yankees game.
Whether or not it fired up the Yankees and their fans to see Smith go buck wild, they have some motivation after an 11-4 win. The crowd got back into the game and pushed the Yanks over the hump to a victory in the World Series.
Yankees fans all over the news after Game 4
Article Continues BelowThe Yankees win wasn’t the only thing from Game 4 that grabbed headlines. The fan interference incident with Mookie Betts leaked into Wednesday, with the latest news reporting that the two fans are banned from Yankee Stadium for Game 5.
Whether you agree with that punishment or not, the situation was a major talking point following the game. New York could use it as a rallying cry. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Yankee Stadium get a little more raucous than usual Wednesday night.
Celebrities have been seen scattered throughout the stands during the World Series, both Yankees and Dodgers fans. Spike Lee leads the way for Yankees fans, who would like to forget about Fat Joe's pregame appearance before Game 3 sooner rather than later.
Then there is Stephen A. Smith, a casual baseball and Yankee fan who is coming out when the Yanks are winning World Series games. That is not a knock on Smith, just the truth of the matter.
Through the chaos of the 24 hours that passed between the end of Game 3 and the final out of Game 4, the Yankees grabbed a win and kept their slim championship hopes alive. We'll see what Game 4 has in store Wednesday night.