Tuesday’s matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago Cubs featured a crucial solo home run from Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel that would end up being the difference in the game. But the call on the home run from Guardians broadcasters Matt Underwood and Rick Manning, which the Guardians social media team ended up omitting on social media.
The home run came in the bottom of the sixth when Noel was able to connect on a hanging breaking ball from Cubs reliever Drew Smyly. Both Underwood and Manning were extremely animated on the call of the blast. But Manning in particular had some serious issues with controlling what he said.
“There’s a ball hammered,” said Underwood. “Deep left, way outta here! Big Christmas and a one horse open sleigh! Rounding the bases after an absolute missile of a home run! And the Guardians take the lead 2-1. My goodness!”
“Oh, Smyly. He wants to kill himself,” added Manning of Smyly after allowing the home run. “He hung him a breaking ball and boy, Noel took advantage of it.”
“BIG CHRISTMAS AND A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH, ROUNDING THE BASES AFTER AN ABSOLUTE MISSILE OF A HOME RUN.”
“Oh, Smyly. He wants to kill himself. He hung him a breaking ball and boy, Noel took advantage of it.”
Matt Underwood and Rick Manning on the spirited call. pic.twitter.com/2EJVMVzREX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 14, 2024
Obviously, Manning’s addition to the call was incredibly unnecessary and over the top in reference to Smyly “wanting to kill himself” over a mistake in a baseball game. And it seems like the Guardians social media team realized that, posting their own clip of the home run with a voiceover from radio play-by-play broadcaster Tom Hamilton.
“The wind by Smyly,” said Hamilton. “And the 2-2… Swung on and ripped! To deep left! Way back, way outta here! A prodigious blast beyond the porch in left! And the Guardians have a 2-1 lead here in the sixth. And Noel, on pitch number eight, hit it 430 feet!”
Christmas is starting to feel like Groundhog Day. 😌#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/016x10toUk
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 14, 2024
Hamilton’s call, while equally as passionate, didn’t have the extremely insensitive element that the original call from Manning did on the live television broadcast. So it makes sense for them to use Hamilton’s instead.
The Guardians would go on win 2-1 thanks to the home run from Noel that was somewhat overshadowed by Manning’s mistake. And what is perhaps an even worse look is that throughout the rest of the broadcast, there was no on-air apology from Manning.
