Orioles broadcast roasts umpire’s horrific strikeout call

Incompetency from umpires might be bad for baseball, but broadcasters roasting incompetency from umpires is great for television.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser struck out in the fifth inning of their game against the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday night after not swinging at a pitch and not seeing a strike. Toronto starting pitcher Bowden Francis was credited with the strikeout, but not without Orioles TV play-by-play voice Kevin Brown noting the obvious assistance from home plate umpire Larry Vanover.

“Cowser strikes out on a 5-0 count” – Kevin Brown trolling umpire Larry Vanover pic.twitter.com/jJqfGpK0MA

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 8, 2024

“Oh my gosh. You gotta be kidding me,” Brown said after Vanover punched out Cowser on a pitch that was clearly outside.

The called third strike came after Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was ejected for complaining about Vanover’s strike zone, or lack thereof, from the dugout to no avail. Hyde chirped at Vanover after his first two bogus strike calls but had to watch the third one from the clubhouse.

“Come on, Larry,” analyst Ben McDonald said in disgust after the strikeout. “That’s a tough one there. Cowser strikes out, never swings at a ball, and all three of them off the outside edge.”

And just as the broadcast was heading to a commercial break after the inning-ending “strikeout,” Brown brought the hammer down on Vanover.

“Cowser strikes out on a 5-0 count,” Brown said.

Boom. Roasted. Brown has been suspended for saying less. It was Brown’s best quip of the day, but it wasn’t even his best call. That was reserved for Jackson Holliday’s seventh inning home run to “Saskatchewan.”

[MASN]