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Joey Gallo Addresses Yankees Trade, Change of Scenery to Los Angeles

The outfielder hit his first home run for the team on Wednesday.

Daniel Chavkin

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Joey Gallo is getting a fresh start with the Dodgers, and he is starting to take advantage. On Wednesday night, the outfielder hit a pinch-hit three-run home run, his first as a Dodger, to extend Los Angeles’ lead to four in what would be the team’s 10th straight victory.

After the game, Gallo explained how he’s welcoming this trade, but he doesn’t blame the Yankees for it either.

“It was good for both sides,” Gallo said. “It was the best opportunity for me, and for them they got a great All-Star outfielder to play in my place. I’ll never have any hard feelings about that, I didn’t do my job to my abilities, but it’s always nice to have a fresh start.”

In the first half of 2021, Gallo made the All-Star game with a .869 OPS and 25 home runs in just 95 games. However, in 140 games with the Yankees, the outfielder hit 25 home runs with a .660 OPS.

Gallo mentioned he is hoping to get his mechanics back to where they were when he was with the Rangers, instead of what they were with the Yankees.

“Baseball as a sport is very delicate, one wrong move can get you off a ball, off your game,” he said. “(I’m) just trying to get those mechanical things back to where I was when I was an All-Star with the Rangers.”

The change in scenery is certainly helping. Gallo went into detail about how his living arrangements now are preferable to what they were just two weeks ago.

“I’m living by the beach right now so that’s pretty nice,” Gallo said. “No offense to New York but I was living in a small apartment for the same price.”

And finally, after being forced to shave in New York, Gallo is happy to be able to grow his beard back.

“It helps not having to shave all the time,” he said.

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Daniel Chavkin
DANIEL CHAVKIN

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