Michael Kay clears the air on rumored John Flaherty beef after ex-Yankee’s YES Network exit

Everything is O-Kay.

Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay responded to rumors that he had a hand in longtime YES colleague John Flaherty’s exit from the network. 

“I had never had friction with John Flaherty in my life, ever,” Kay said on his “The Michael Kay Show” on Wednesday. “That was not anything that I wanted nor anything that I was comfortable with.”

Flaherty, a former big league catcher who spent three years with the Yankees, was a part of YES Network for 20 years but did not get his contract renewed for 2026. 

“I love John Flaherty,” Kay said. “I thought that John Flaherty was one of the most valuable people that we had at the network.”

Kay said he’s disappointed with the rumors that started on social media about his non-substantiated hatred of Flaherty, which he attributed to an exchange the pair shared during a Yankees game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field two seasons ago.

“It stems from an exchange that turned out to be awkward on the air in Chicago last year, but totally false that there was anything between John and I,” Kay said.

The clip in question included Flaherty poking fun at Kay for being quiet on the bus ride to the stadium in the morning. Kay snapped back, saying he was not feeling well.

He took it a step further by accusing Flaherty of wanting to work with another broadcaster, Ryan Ruocco, rather than him. 

The awkward exchange was followed by silence in the booth. 

The next day, both broadcasters addressed the awkward exchange in the first inning of the next game. Both hashed out their differences and made clear they were friends. 

Flaherty is not back in broadcasting after leaving the YES Network, while Kay is still calling games for the network. Kay added that both are still friends, even though they’re not working together.

 “We’re still absolute friends,” Kay said.