The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the National League Divison Series thanks in part to Kiké Hernández’s home run in the second inning that gave them an early lead.
Moments after the victory, Hernández was speaking with Ken Rosenthal for a postgame interview on the Fox broadcast. When asked what made the 2024 Dodgers team different from others, Hernández’s response included an uncensored expletive due to the live nature of the broadcast.
While it ruffled the feathers of some, Hernández’s interview was a hit with Dodgers fans who have come to love his personality.
During an appearance on “The Shop,” Hernández revealed MLB nearly suspended him for using profanity:
“I did get fined for that. I was going to get an even heftier fine and a game suspension, but having a good agent and having a good player union came in handy. They got rid of the suspension and got to lower the fine a little bit, which was good. I did have to apologize, which you could say 50-50 on the honesty part of it.
“What I answered was my honest answer from the bottom of my heart, and I didn’t think there was any other way to describe the team. I felt like I had already taken a while to think about my answer because I didn’t want to answer it that way, but when I asked if we were live and he said yes, I figured there’s got to be some sort of delay, you know?
“There was no delay and I was on live TV, cussing and there was a lot of criticizing that. I think it made the postseason run a little more epic for the fans because they bought into that mentality and they had fun with it too.”
The answer Hernández gave during his interview was a reflection of the new attitude the Dodgers had during the 2024 postseason. The team as a whole was tired of falling short of their goals and played with a new edge throughout October.
It was most evident in the series against the Padres, as the Dodgers showed no quit despite being one game away from a third consecutive NLDS exit after losing Game 3.
Kiké Hernández wants to re-sign with Dodgers
Almost two months have passed since the start of free agency and Hernández has not yet signed with a team. His main choice and what he hopes ultimately transpires is re-signing with the Dodgers to try and repeat as champions.
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