Fourth generation baseball broadcaster Chris Caray likely has a long career ahead of him in the Major Leagues. But he hopefully won’t have a home run call quite like this one on Saturday night.
The Don’t-Call-Them-Oakland Athletics were visiting the Houston Astros. With the A’s holding on to a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Lawrence Butler launched a three-run home run to give the Athletics some much needed cushion.
Off the bat it looked like a home run and sounded like a home run. The camera was tracking it to right field like it was a home run. Even the call of Chris Caray started sounding like a home run call.
But then for some reason, Caray called it a foul ball on the NBC Sports California broadcast before reversing himself once he realized that it was in fact a home run.
A’s broadcaster Chris Caray may have had a bit of trouble seeing this one off the bat of Lawrence Butler.
“High in the air deep to right. That ball is foul… or gone.” pic.twitter.com/O58kBdlIPA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 27, 2025
“One-two pitch. High in the air deep to right. That ball is foul… or gone,” Caray said in one of the most anti-climactic home run calls you will ever here.
Thankfully for Caray, broadcast partner Dallas Braden took it from there with a much needed jolt of enthusiasm to talk about Butler’s dinger. After initially posting the television call, the A’s social media team deleted the tweet after it started going viral, replacing it with the radio call that went a little more smoothly.
LAW LAUNCH 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/DgvZLG6qNh
— Athletics (@Athletics) July 27, 2025
Caray later took to X to say that he simply lost the ball in the lights, apologizing to Butler and Athletics fans.
Totally lost it in the lights. No excuses. Unfair to Butler and our fans that I messed it up as badly as I did. This is completely and totally on me!
Wish I could have it back but that’s baseball. I apologize and will be better tomorrow. https://t.co/LKcCgSerBz
— Chris Caray (@ChrisCaray) July 27, 2025
Chris Caray is far from the first announcer to make a mistake like this. Yankees legend John Sterling is famous for a career filled with some funny bloopers and missed calls. It happens to the best of them, but good for Caray to take accountability. And the best thing about it is in baseball there’s always another game and another opportunity to make good tomorrow.
About Matt Yoder