Add YES Network’s Paul O’Neill to the list of New York sports media members who have certain names they simply cannot figure out how to pronounce.
O’Neill was on the call Sunday for the game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. While discussing where some of the players in the game ranked statistically, he mentioned Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz. Or perhaps more accurately, he tried to mention De La Cruz.
It didn’t go well.
Somewhere, Paul O'Neill is still trying to pronounce 'Elly De La Cruz.' pic.twitter.com/L3ougtsUu3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 2, 2024
“I was looking at those names around him. And he’s right behind Ellie-di-da-crew… Ella duh-duh da Cruz, well that’s a tough one. From the Reds, you know, the young superstar that leads the world…”
We kinda wish O’Neill had continued trying to figure it out. Who knows how many tries it would have taken before he finally got to Elly De La Cruz’s name?
It’s a good name to figure out because the Cincinnati star has emerged as one of the brightest new stars in baseball. So far in his second season in the big leagues, he’s hitting .238 with nine home runs and a .760 OPS while leading the league in stolen bases with 32.
O’Neill joins an illustrious group of New York sports media folks who have struggled on-air to pronounce names, including Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s many failed attempts, not to mention Mike Francesa.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.