If you have something serious to say on a baseball broadcast, stay as far away from a Nick Castellanos at-bat as possible.
On Sunday, during a spring training game between the Phillies and Blue Jays, the Toronto broadcast crew was discussing Blue Jays pitching coach (and former Mets pitcher) Pete Walker’s recent DUI arrest – and Castellanos was at the plate for Philadelphia.
Lo and behold, Castellanos got a base hit.
Nick Castellanos got a hit as the Blue Jays were discussing the DUI arrest of pitching coach Pete Walker. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThis is at least the third time Castellanos has interrupted a serious broadcasting moment.
Most famously, Castellanos homered to left as Reds play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman was apologizing for using an anti-gay slur that had just been caught on a hot mic. To this day, “there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that’ll be a home run” remains a joke that gets used during virtually every controversy.
For his part, Brennaman has said that he has learned to live with it.
Last July, Castellanos hit another home run – to a similar spot in left field – as the Royals broadcast was eulogizing World War II veteran George Gorman, father of longtime clubhouse employee Pat Gorman, who had died at 96 years old.
To repeat: Every baseball producer needs to know when Castellanos is coming to the plate, and stay far away from anything serious at those times.
