Jason Benetti and Tom Verducci put on a masterclass during manager ejection

Saturday night’s game between the San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins featured what Fox announcer Jason Benetti called “a top-flight baseball ejection,” courtesy of Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and home plate umpire. Thanks to a decision made by Benetti and color analyst Tom Verducci, the viewing audience got to see — and hear — much of what was said.

Minnesota’s Carlos Correa was up in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on base. Correa took the 2-1 pitch from San Francisco’s Logan Webb, which Adrian Johnson called a strike, feeling it caught enough of the strike zone. Baldelli disagreed. He began arguing with Johnson from the dugout. At that point, the camera curiously cut to Giants third baseman Matt Chapman. It quickly returned to home plate. Baldelli was now on the field, continuing his argument.

Baldelli said “three straight hitters” to Johnson, which Benetti repeated. But after that, both announcers remained silent, allowing the viewer to hear what was being said.

This is not something announcers usually do. If nothing else, talking can muffle the sounds of some of the expletives commonly liberally used in these arguments. In this case, several of those expletives and most of the argument came across loud and clear. For MLB fans, it was great to hear.

Baldelli eventually walked off the field, heading for the clubhouse. Before he did, he took his hat off and threw it back on the field.

“That is now the second-most famous hat toss in this city to Mary Tyler Moore,” Benetti joked.

Verducci then discussed the decision to stay silent through the argument.

“I just was enjoying listening to it. Because like, when Olivier did Hamlet, you don’t interrupt,” he said.

“That is now the second-most famous hat toss in this city, to Mary Tyler Moore.”

“I just was enjoying listening to it. Because like, when Olivier did ‘Hamlet,’ you don’t interrupt.”

Jason Benetti and Tom Verducci react to Rocco Baldelli’s ejection.pic.twitter.com/VznA8W8XsL

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 11, 2025

If you tuned into that game expecting to hear references to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Hamlet, you’re either lying or need to buy lottery tickets as soon as possible.

Correa swung and missed Webb’s first pitch after the game resumed, ending the inning.

“We’re glad to have expanded your vocabulary as we go to the seventh,” Benetti said.

But the Mary Tyler Moore jokes weren’t quite done.

Later in the game, it was time to award the Allstate Good Hands Play, which was given to Baldelli.

“Rocco’s good hands play comes at the very tail end of this. Because he’s gonna make it after all,” Benetti said.

With references to the final image of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the final line of the song accompanying said image, it was time to complete the trifecta.

“I can’t wait for the statue downtown,” Verducci said.

“Rocco’s good hands play comes at the very tail end of this. Because he’s gonna make it after all.”

“I can’t wait for the statue downtown.”

The Mary Tyler Moore jokes continue. pic.twitter.com/orgXjOxd7V https://t.co/imzrceA5y5

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 11, 2025

This was the chef’s kiss for Boomers or Gen-Xers who watched The Mary Tyler Moore Show during its original run or their millennial children who watched it on Nick at Nite as kids.