During Fox’s 2023 MLB playoffs and World Series broadcasts, Texas Rangers fans strongly disapproved of commentator John Smoltz.
Smoltz faced criticism from viewers in the American League Division Series for seemingly favoring the Baltimore Orioles against the Rangers. This perception of bias continued during the World Series, where Smoltz called the Rangers’ games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Fans found his commentary, particularly in Game 4, be particularly irksome.
In response to criticism from Texas Rangers fans, the MLB Hall of Famer appeared on the Shan & RJ show on 105.3 The Fan to address the elephant in the room. Funnily enough, the graphic of Smoltz indicating that he was on the phone read, “Accused of being a Rangers hater during their World Series run.”
Smoltz said he ignores negative feedback and “could care less” about the perception that he dislikes the Rangers.
The only problem here is that Smoltz is saying in a way that he does care. You see, “I couldn’t care less” would be the most grammatically correct way for him to express having complete apathy toward something, like the perception that he hates the Rangers.
Instead, he said he does care despite not caring.
You’d expect a broadcast professional like Smoltz to utter that phrase — one that many get wrong — with the best possible grammar. While that’s not the main point here, and Smoltz firmly does not care what Rangers fans think despite indicators otherwise, we couldn’t gloss over the grammatically incorrect use of the phrase.
Here’s more from Smoltz, who doesn’t have any social media and said that his job is to call every game neutral:
“It’s the most ridiculous claim in the history of baseball,” said Smoltz, “but it’s alright. I was told that was going to happen when I got into this job. People are so used to their local broadcasts that they have no conceptual idea that we come in neutral. And our play-by-play guy, Joe Davis, is going to call a home run as excited for the other team as excited for the other team.
“And Joe Buck told me, he said, ‘Listen, when you get into this, don’t pay attention to everybody thinking you’re rooting for somebody else. Just do your job,’ and that’s what I’ve done. It really is ridiculous. Atlanta in the World Series against Houston, I got more criticism from the Atlanta fans — that I wasn’t a homer — and I wasn’t rooting for the Atlanta Braves. So, if that doesn’t tell you all you need to know.”
Smoltz emphasized that his approach to calling the World Series remains consistent since his first broadcast in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs’ victory over the Cleveland Guardians unfolded over seven games.
“And thank God I don’t have any social media because I’d be meeting some people in places,” he quipped.
