Alex Rodriguez describing a swing as "like punching a little person." Alex Rodriguez describing a swing as “like punching a little person.” (Awful Announcing on Twitter.)
ESPNMLBBy Andrew Bucholtz on

Alex Rodriguez has been involved in plenty of controversies over the years. His latest came on the KayRod Cast alternate Sunday Night Baseball broadcast with Michael Kay for the New York Mets-Boston Red Sox game Sunday, where he chose a rather unusual analogy to explain a swing:

There, Rodriguez says “Posture up and [swing] right down, I’m going to get in trouble, it’s like you’re punching a little person. With your right hand and that knee down, boom, right there. Now you’re on top of the baseball.”

Part of what’s interesting about this is that Rodriguez even recognizes “I’m going to get in trouble,” but continues with his analogy anyway. And it seems like a curious and unnecessary analogy; even if he wanted to use the punch reference, why would he not just say “It’s like you’re punching someone in the stomach.” Instead, Rodriguez chose to go with “punching a little person,” and that was not well received by many.

There’s not necessarily any discipline for Rodriguez coming from this, but it did certainly spark a less-than-positive social media conversation around him. It’s far from the first time that’s happened in Rodriguez’s broadcasting career, though, to say nothing of his controversy–filled playing career. The infamous glove slap even got referenced in one reply here:

Now that would have been a funny and self-aware analogy for Rodriguez to use. But self-awareness does not seem to be his particular strength.

[Awful Announcing on Twitter]

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.

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