Only some baseball analysts possess Keith Hernandez’s gift for language.
His commentary can veer into uncomfortable territory. While some might find his, shall we say, colorful descriptions, like using a very NSFW version of Jazz Chisholm’s name or his more suggestive turns of phrase “always be erect” to be pushing the envelope on network television, there’s no denying Hernandez’s extensive vocabulary.
Although his approach may be old-school, his command of language is truly impressive. And With Opening Day just around the corner, Hernandez is already flexing his vocabulary muscles. During a Spring Training game on Thursday, Mets’ third baseman Brett Baty smashed a line drive clocked at 105.6 MPH off Nationals pitcher Jacob Barnes’ backside.
In response, Hernandez unleashed a unique term: “bohunkus.”
“Hang with him. Right off the uh — bohunkus,” said Hernandez, referencing Baty’s hit bouncing off of Barnes’ backside.
Keith Hernandez with his first "bohunkus" of the year pic.twitter.com/9CeOTg3WqY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 8, 2024
If you haven’t heard it before, ‘bohunkus’ is a vintage word for your backside, derived from slang in the South.
Steve Gelbs, who has been doing a lot of the play-by-play work for SNY during Spring Training, couldn’t contain his laughter. He repeated the phrase, almost in utter disbelief, then admitted that he should’ve gone with the term derived from Hernandez’s colorful language rather than “backside.”
“That is what he’s laughing about,” added Hernandez. “It doesn’t hurt there; a lot of meat back there.”
Did anyone put March 7 on their calendar for Hernandez already being in mid-season form?
And while he might not always be intentional, his gift for unexpected vocabulary certainly keeps things entertaining. Love or hate him, there’s no denying he adds another layer of fun to the already stellar SNY broadcast team with Gary Cohen and Ron Darling.
Tuning into SNY is constantly a gamble with Hernandez on the mic. Today, it’s “bohunkus,” who knows what forgotten gem he’ll unearth tomorrow, leaving many viewers scrambling for their phones for a quick vocabulary lesson on Urban Dictionary.
[Awful Announcing on Twitter/X]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.