The first game of Monday’s doubleheader between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays featured an extremely graphic moment when Orioles catcher James McCann got hit in the nose with a pitch. And for some, the Orioles’ broadcast featured too many slow-motion close ups of the play.
In the bottom of the first inning, Blue Jays starter Yariel Rodriguez unleashed a 94 mph fastball that hit McCann in the nose.
McCann stayed down for quite some time, prompting a delay that lasted about five minutes as McCann received attention from the Orioles training staff. During this delay, the Orioles TV broadcast on MASN decided to show several slow-motion replays.
MASN’s coverage of James McCann getting hit in the face by a pitch included a lot of close-up replays. (McCann stayed in the game after a five-minute delay to stop the bleeding and change his jersey.) pic.twitter.com/6PWu9Fwwco
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 29, 2024
There was a significant amount of blood coming from McCann’s face after being hit by the pitch. So the numerous close-up replays from MASN were naturally met with a number of fans feeling a bit uncomfortable with the graphic nature of what they were seeing.
Also, with all due respect, MASN is giving way too much airtime to close-ups of his face right now. Give him, and those watching, a break.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 29, 2024
Ok MASN maybe don’t show a closeup of the broken nose
— Zac McCord (@zmccord23) July 29, 2024
Miraculously, McCann would stay in the game after being hit by the pitch. And there would be a number of close-ups on McCann’s face throughout the game that showed the significant damage.
admin can’t comprehend this level of aura pic.twitter.com/yGFOkpWwtR
— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) July 29, 2024
On one hand, it’s natural for MASN to want to show how much toughness McCann had by staying in the game. But are the close-ups on his face really necessary to drive that point home?
That’s obviously up for interpretation. But regardless, it’s safe to say that watching this game on MASN wasn’t for the faint of heart.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.