Why Did New York Yankees Outfielder Compare His Own Team to Chihuahuas?

The New York Yankees new outfielder had a funny comparison when asked about team's new celebration.

Apr 9, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo (24) celebrates | Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees took care of business against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night by a score of 3-2, but the most entertaining moment might have happened after the game.

Baseball players use all sorts of things for motivation, and the Yankees might have found themselves an odd one as a player compared the team to chihuahuas.

But why?

To understand it, things have to be rewinded a couple of weeks.

Back when New York opened the season with a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros, newcomer Alex Verdugo said his teammates were "dawgs."

Verdugo's brazen attitude caught on with fans and teammates alike. Thus begun the barking. The 2024 Yankees signature celebration has been barking throughout the stands and dugout.

"Anytime I hear the teammates barking — I got Rizzo throwing up the little 'Arf, arf, arf,' so it’s a lot of fun," Verdugo said to the media while wearing a gray "Bronx Dawgs" T-shirt. "They’re running with it and we love it."

The outfielder heard some barking on Tuesday as he hit a go-ahead home run against the Marlins and was showered with 'arfs' from Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo - as reported by Larry Fleisher of Associated Press.

Logically, Verdugo was then asked by a member of the media what kind of dog he would be, and he gave a hilarious answer.

"Oh man, I don't know. We kind of joke every day it's like a baby Chihuahua. So we start with like a baby bark and the more damage you do, you know, the base starts going a little deeper and you start turning it into a big dog. So every day it's a little dog and when you do something, you're a big dog," he said.

Verdugo has a batting average of .220 with a .703 OPS to start his first season with the Yankees. The 27-year-old was acquired from the rival Boston Red Sox this offseason.