For the first time since 2019, the MLB broadcaster rankings were voted on by the readers of Awful Announcing, and you named the Detroit Tigers your least favorite local broadcast team across the league. The booth includes play-by-play announcer Matt Shepard and analysts Kirk Gibson and Craig Monroe.
During Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians, Shepard, who has been the play-by-play voice of the Tigers since 2019, made a weird comment about a woman, who appeared to be the bride-to-be as a part of a Bachelorette party.
The camera from Bally Sports Detroit panned to the right field corner, as Shepard read a promo for an upcoming Tigers’ giveaway.
Here is the clip where the Tigers broadcast booth jokes somewhat uncomfortably about what appears to be a bachelorette party.
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“She’s about to get married, right? That’s why she’s got that outfit on, right? And then she’s at a baseball game?” Shepard asked. “Good for her. Part of her little trip with the girls I suppose, before [the wedding].”
Shepard then made an unprompted comment that came across as somewhat creepy.
“There’s nothing sexier than a woman drinking a Leinenkugel.”
After making this comment, which appeared to be some type of joke while also having a Brent Musburger-Katherine Webb-like moment, the broadcast booth had a quick chuckle.
Leinenkugel, of course, is an American beer maker that was historically distributed only in the Upper Midwest but is now available throughout all 50 states. They produced a variety of beers, including traditional lagers and ales, as well as a popular line of Shandy’s, which are made with beer and fruit juices, such as lemonade.
Needless to say, Leinenkugels are popular in the Midwest, especially in Detroit. So, Shepard commenting about the beer isn’t completely out of pocket, but his comment about “nothing sexier than a woman” drinking it certainly is bizarre and uncomfortable on a Major League broadcast. It was probably not the best thing to say over the airwaves, regardless of whether he meant it as a joke or not.
