John Sterling Thinks A Replay Is Live And Immediately Blurts Out His Canned Home Run Call

IT IS GONE! Unfortunately, it was a replay of the home run, but it was a good replay!

I'm sorry, it's on the monitor. What am I supposed to do? pic.twitter.com/R2lS61Au0o

— John Sterling Calls (@JSterlingCalls) July 8, 2021

That's gold, Jerry! Gold!

Jared Greenspan, New York Post, July 8, 2021:

While the Yankees hit the road, [John] Sterling and [Suzyn] Waldman remain in the Bronx, calling the games off YES Network's TV feed inside a mostly-empty Yankee stadium . . . During Tuesday's game against the Mariners in Seattle, the unorthodox broadcast style caused a gaffe on Sterling's part.

Oh, it was the "unorthodox style" of the broadcast that "caused" Sterling to make a mistake? . . . Come on, Jared. Sterling has been infamous for screwing up calls of all sorts – wrong count, wrong score, wrong teams, wrong fielders, calling foul balls fair, calling fair balls foul ("I can't tell. I never can tell. Even when I'm there I can't tell whether it's fair or foul."), not to mention using inane catchphrases as often as Trump tells lies – for well over a decade. (This YouTube video of Sterling bloopers was posted in 2012, for god's sake.)

Also this happened during Wednesday's game. Judge did not hit a home run on Tuesday.

The story notes that even though capacity limits have been lifted at all major league ball parks and Sterling and Waldman have been vaccinated, their employer has decided to save a bundle on travel expenses, which I can understand since Sterling will make the same mistakes no matter where he's calling the game from. . . . Anyway, I'm sorry. Go on, Jared . . .

Attempting to announce the game off his monitor, Sterling saw a replay of a second-inning home run from Aaron Judge. Mistaking the replay for live action, Sterling began reciting his classic home run call, incorrectly crediting Judge with his second home run of the night. 

Only afterwards did Sterling realize his mistake.

"Unfortunately, that was the replay of the home run," Sterling said. "But it was a good replay."

Sterling then lamented the fact that he was calling the game from nearly 3,000 miles away.

"I'm sorry, it's on a monitor," Sterling said. "What am I supposed to do?"

Gee, I don't know. Maybe . . . Pay attention?

Put in some actual effort and do the job you are getting fucking paid to do? . . . Just spitballin' here.

I have watched baseball games on a monitor (or what I like to call a television screen) for almost half a century and when I pay attention to what's going on, I never get confused and think a replay of something from earlier in the game is happening live.

Sterling even calls the type of pitch! Also, it sounds like someone starts to say something (at 0:03, perhaps "Joh--"?) but stops. Was Waldman trying to alert her booth partner that's not happening now but simply gave up as he really got into the call?

You know, Suzyn, I always say baseball isn't like the other sports, as Stanton takes a fast strike. Sometimes the exact same thing happens twice in the same baseball game. I see it all the time. Maybe even three times. This pitcher reminds me of that delightful ditty from South Pacific, the 1949 musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein, wowie zowie, Stanton swings and misses, they don't write them like that anymore. I'm as corny as Kansas in August. I'm as normal as blueberry pie. No more a smart little girl with no heart. I have found me a wonderful guy! Memories! Say, Suzyn, the other team is jogging off the field. Is the inning over? . . .