Howie Rose is never going to hear the end of it. And according to Ron Darling, the SNY booth will be leading the charge.
The longtime New York Mets radio announcer threw out the first pitch prior to the team’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. It was Howie Rose bobblehead night after all, and the talking doll features Rose’s signature phrase, “Put it in the books.”
It’s turning out to be quite the memorable week for Rose, who will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony over the weekend. But he may want to forget Wednesday’s first pitch.
Mets radio voice Howie Rose threw out the first pitch ahead of Wednesday's game vs the Phillies.
Keith Hernandez: "Oh my god… Howie… Howie… stick to hockey." ⚾️🎙️😂 pic.twitter.com/7bplzMHQfX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 1, 2023
Rose’s first pitch was just a bit outside. And while Rose’s radio listeners wouldn’t have been able to see the miscue, the Mets’ TV announcers over at SNY made sure that fans wouldn’t miss it.
“Oh my god, Howie…Howie, stick to hockey,” Keith Hernandez quipped.
Between Darling and Mets play-by-play voice Gary Cohen, the SNY booth erupted in laughter over Hernandez’s quip.
It’s especially funny considering that Rose hasn’t been the New York Islanders’ TV play-by-play broadcaster in six years. He served in that role from 1995-2016, but is perhaps best known by hockey fans for his call of “Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!” when Stefan Matteau of the New York Rangers scored the game-winning goal in double-overtime of Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils.
“It’s alright, we’ve all been there, Howie,” Cohen said, jokingly adding that “He didn’t have his cup of Bigelow Tea.”.
Cohen then posed the question, asking if Rose’s new partner on WCBS 880, Keith Raad, will be confident enough to give Rose the “business appropriately.”
“Not yet,” said Darling. “No, I don’t think so. Maybe the All-Star break, after that, but I don’t think Keith is at that point yet.”
Hernandez, of all people, said that Raad needs to “behave himself.”
In any event, Rose is never going to hear the end of it regarding his first pitch, whether it’s from his new partner or the guys in the SNY booth.
[Awful Announcing on Twitter; top photo of Rose from Wendell Cruz/USA Today Sports]
