Paul Byrd apologizes for awkward Mike Yastrzemski interview

Credit: BravesVision

Mike Yastrzemski was the hero on Friday night for the Atlanta Braves as they defeated his grandfather’s former team, the Boston Red Sox, thanks to his walk-off hit in the 10th inning. But when trying to find a way to compliment the Braves outfielder, BravesVision interviewer Paul Byrd caused an unintentional firestorm.

Byrd was a longtime former pitcher, playing for seven teams across 14 seasons in the Major Leagues. He began his second stint with the Braves as a reporter for games in 2025.

After he was done interviewing Yastrzemski, he tried to make a comment about how valuable it was to have everyone on the team contributing, not just their superstars, throwing it back to the booth. However, the way it came out could have been perceived as a bit of a diss towards the man who just had the game-winning hit.

“Absolute blast to cover, great interview, works hard, does it all, again, not the superstar MVP-caliber, but one of the best on this team at coming through,” Byrd said.

Naturally, the comments caught quite a bit of attention on social media, given the “not the superstar MVP-caliber” remark.

But Paul Byrd set the record straight. Although he isn’t on social media himself, he recorded an audio apology that fellow Braves broadcaster C.J. Nitkowski posted on social media. Nitkowski also said that Yastrzemski took no offense himself.

“Byrdie is a champion of players and wants to bring their stories to you with the greatest appreciation and perspective that he can. That is what last night was. Byride is not on social media, but he wanted to share his thoughts with Braves Country. He is a sweetheart of a man, friend and teammate, we are lucky to have him,” Nitkowski said.