We’re usually against trolling for the sake of stirring up the masses, but the exception is when it’s done with irony, humor, and self-deprecation. Dan Le Batard is the master of this “gleeful trolling” and we have to give credit where it is due because it’s not only very funny, it shows the speed and ferocity in which social media works.
Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday and Griffey had a record 99.3% of the vote, meaning there were just 3 out of 440 writers who didn’t vote him in. Dan Le Batard was more than happy to bear that cross for those 3 voters.
I was one of the people who didn't vote for Griffey!
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) January 7, 2016
Of course that is not the case as Le Batard was telling a fib. In case you have a short memory, you may have already forgotten that Le Batard was stripped of his Hall of Fame vote for giving it to Deadspin two years ago so he couldn’t have not voted for Griffey because he doesn’t have a vote anymore.
Naturally, neither that fact nor the fact that Le Batard loves to follow this exact blueprint in gleefully trolling the masses, stopped people from actually believing him. I mean come on people, he actually typed it with an exclamation point! The only thing that could have made this more obvious that it was a joke was one of those little “100” emojis.
The angry responses full of righteous outrage came pouring in to DLB’s mentions and he was more than happy to retweet the best ones to his audience
https://twitter.com/informedblackmn/status/684963840878981120
@LeBatardShow you're one sorry piece of trash. How the hell do you NOT VOTE Griffey? Do you even watch MLB? Your show sucks too.
— Nick Rayfield (@RayRay229) January 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/meloman1523/status/684979783692750849
https://twitter.com/ChaBoyJFranimal/status/684946194041278464
@LeBatardShow … Please do not have done this for a ratings grab Dan.
— deanofsports (@deanofsports) January 7, 2016
Okay, 3 nimrods didn't vote for #Griffey? I heard an ESPN guy, Dan Le Batard, was one. THEY should be tested for steroids.@LeBatardShow
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) January 7, 2016
The fact that you are proud of it says it all.#cantfixstupid https://t.co/0Jml47FdZh
— Nate Metzger ✝️🇺🇸 (@Metz180) January 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/Mmb728/status/684932237779931138
He even retweeted a nod to what was really happening and STILL got angry responses afterwards!
My face when people forget that @LeBatardShow lost his HOF vote over the Deadspin Debacle. pic.twitter.com/YjxAxtTIDV
— Clay Rapp (@ClayRapp) January 7, 2016
Ok seriously though, who were the real people who didn’t vote for Griffey?
