Over the years, ESPN has asked Stephen A. Smith to wear a lot of hats. And while the network has asked him to dip his toe into the world of Major League Baseball more than a few times, he is by no means a savant.
So, take what you’re about to hear next with a grain of salt.
Appearing on Wednesday’s edition of First Take, Smith interrupted a panel discussion about the idea that the Los Angeles Angels should consider trading Shoehei Ohtani.
While the Angels seemed poised to make a run at the American League Wild Card, that was put on the back burner over the July Fourth holiday. After the Angels announced Mike Trout fractured the hamate bone in his left hand, both Ohtani and Anthony Rendon exited Tuesday’s game with injuries.
https://twitter.com/thecomeback/status/1676398937693908994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1676398937693908994%7Ctwgr%5E12bc30055a324bdfd7d65acf48415681e8c4c82b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecomeback.com%2Fmlb%2Fangels-shohei-ohtani-anthony-rendon-injuries.html
That information has hit everyone differently, including Smith, who responded to the news of Rendon being removed from Tuesday’s game with a quip that would make Mike Francesa proud.
“Oh, who cares,” Smith said, taking a page out of Francesa’s book. “I wish them well.”
Don't expect to catch Stephen A. Smith at a Los Angeles Angels game any time soon pic.twitter.com/W3tsDJJDiw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 5, 2023
Christine Williamson, filling in as host for Molly Qerim on First Take, tried to acknowledge that the Angels would be missing their three highest-paid players, but Smith wasn’t having it.
Since the top of the 8th inning yesterday, the Angels have seen 44% of their 40-man payroll leave the game with injuries.
Mike Trout: $35.5M
Anthony Rendon: $35M
Shohei Ohtani: $30M https://t.co/letl6BwbSI— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 5, 2023
“I wish him well. I’m not rooting against him being healthy or whatever,” Smith said, though it was unclear if he was referring to Rendon or Trout. “The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, no one cares about you. No one. I’ve been in LA quite often, I never hear anybody talking about the Angels. We love driving by the stadium, it looks really nice. No one cares. You’re irrelevant. Period.”
Yes, this is the same Smith who, only a few years ago, complained that Major League Baseball wasn’t marketing Ohtani enough, only to say a few weeks later that he shouldn’t be “the face of the game”…because he needs an interpreter.
So, which is it? Smith can’t have his cake and eat it too, though it’s likely he has no recollection of saying those prior statements. And for what it’s worth, it’s pretty well understood that Ohtani is the best player in Major League Baseball and arguably one of the most impressive athletes in pro sports today, whether Smith cares or not.
We have a feeling that Smith won’t be asked to throw out a first pitch at an Angels game anytime soon.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.