Giancarlo Stanton flies out against Yankees Wayne Randazzo’s call on Giancarlo’s routine flyout against the Dodgers Friday night left fans buzzing.
By Arthur Weinstein on

The Friday Night Baseball matchup between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers featured a thrilling extra-innings finish, but the most exciting play might have been a routine out earlier in the game.

In fact, play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo’s call on Giancarlo Stanton’s routine flyout in the bottom of the eighth inning might have been the most exciting call on a routine out you’ve ever heard.

Here’s what happened in the Apple TV+ broadcast: Stanton came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, with the bases loaded in a scoreless game. He made solid contact, the stadium erupted, and Randazzo made his call.

“And he lines one toward left-center field!” Randazzo exclaimed, like many fans at the Yankee Stadium sensing a grand slam off the bat.

Then reality set in.

“Calling for it is (Teoscar) Hernández, he has the baseball shy of the warning track,” Randazzo said, all excitement drained from his voice. “And Stanton just missed it.”

Hey, every baseball fan has been badly fooled by a fly ball off the bat, thinking the ball was sailing out of the park only to end up a routine out. MLB announcers make the same mistake from time to time. In fact, in Randazzo’s regular role as Los Angeles Angels TV announcer last year, he gave the home run treatment to a Shohei Ohtani flyout.

To be fair, fans at Yankee Stadium Friday night were on their feet and cheering at the crack of the bat. According to Statcast, Stanton’s ball had an exit velocity of 93.9 mph — not technically hard hit — and had a poor .170 xBA. It traveled 358 feet and wouldn’t have been a home run in any MLB park at that spot.

In other words, a routine out. But it sure sounded exciting thanks to Randazzo’s call. Fans checking in on X had plenty of thoughts.


[Talkin’ Yanks; Photo Credit: Apple TV+]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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