The task of saying “Dick Allen bobblehead” posed quite the challenge for Philadelphia Phillies radio analyst Kevin Stocker.
During the second inning of the Phillies game in Los Angeles against the Dodgers Monday night, Stocker began reading a promo for an upcoming Dick Allen bobblehead giveaway at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Kevin Stocker was trying to say “A Johnson Controls Dick Allen bobble figurine.”
That’s not exactly what he said.pic.twitter.com/r8h3cCJuCw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 2, 2023
“All fans, 15 and over, will receive a Johnson Controls D*ckhead,” Whoops. Stocker immediately recognized the spoonerism and attempted to finish reading the promo after regaining his composure. “Dick. Allen. Bobble. Figurine,” Stocker said with added caution.
In Stocker’s defense, “Dick Allen bobblehead” is asking for a slip up, maybe even more than the infamous “bulging disc” that has caught so many broadcasters over the years. Phillies play-by-play voice Scott Franzke stayed silent for a bit, allowing Stocker to let the “d*ckhead” blunder marinate before he eventually jumped back onto the call with a chuckle.
Sitting through the “d*ckhead” gaffe was nothing for Franzke, who was in the booth last year as now former Phillies analyst Michael Bourn unabashedly yelled “Oooh sh*t!” after watching Bryce Harper take a 97mph fastball off his wrist. At least Stocker’s blunder was a spoonerism, Bourn was just letting them fly with raw emotion.
Additionally, with bobbleheads often being somewhat of a wild card in terms of how well they capture the person being depicted, the Dick Allen bobblehead looks great.
[Nick Piccone, photo from MLB.com]
