Keith Hernandez has mastered the art of subtly not sticking to sports during New York Mets broadcasts to remind everyone where he lies politically.
Of course, Hernandez isn’t always subtle, publicly praising Tucker Carlson, promoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s book The Real Anthony Fauci or appearing on Fox News and Fox Business channels to support Donald Trump.
But while calling Mets games, Hernandez usually attempts to be subtle. And during Game 2 of the chaotic but riveting playoff-clinching doubleheader between the Mets and Atlanta Braves Monday afternoon, Hernandez may have dropped a hint about his political leanings again.
With outfielder Harrison Bader facing Braves pitcher Harrison Grant Holmes, Mets play-by-play voice noted the matchup sounded “very presidential,” sparking a conversation about presidents in the SNY booth.
“You did say the Democratic Party, right?” 🤔 pic.twitter.com/IKjU1geB4B
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 1, 2024
“You had Andrew Jackson, the father of the Democrat Party,” Hernandez said. “Abraham Lincoln, the father of the Republican Party.”
“You did say the Democratic Party, right?” Cohen asked after noticing Hernandez opted to remove the apparently very important ‘ic’ from the term.
“Yes,” Hernandez quickly answered. “Andrew Jackson. Of course.”
What followed was about 25 seconds of chuckling from Cohen, Hernandez and Ron Darling, perhaps recognizing the possibility that “Democrat Party” may have been used intentionally. Intentional because in one of the more bizarre political insults, Republicans referring to the Democratic Party as the Democrat Party is intended to be a sort of jibe.
A jibe that has been around for close to a century and one that was elicited by Donald Trump during his one term as President of the United States. It’s a strange dig, particularly because Democrats don’t seem overly bothered by it. But it’s an adopted insult in the same manner that “Let’s Go Brandon” became code for mocking President Joe Biden, albeit on a lesser scale.
It’s unfortunate that the end of the MLB season also closed the book on the year for the best booth in baseball. Because with the 2024 presidential election looming, Hernandez undoubtedly would have had a view zingers to share in the coming weeks.
[SNY]
