SI

Hot Mics Picked Up So, So Many Baseball F-Bombs on Sunday

In Monday’s Hot Clicks: MLB brings fans closer (maybe too close) to the game, a crazy snipe from a young NHL star and more.

Dan Gartland

There’s one upside to playing games without fans

When it became clear in early March that the immediate future of sports featured games without crowds, fans were excited by the possibility that a lack of noise pollution could take them closer to the game. Unfortunately, the NBA has been employing a seven-second delay so that the audio from the court can be dropped whenever somebody swears (which is often). NBCSN’s coverage of the Premier League, one of the live first sports to come back to American television, featured artificial crowd noise that covered up the sounds on the pitch. Baseball, however, hasn’t really bothered to do anything about hot mics, and it’s glorious. 

It’s been happening all season but Sunday’s slate of games featured a heaping helping of outstanding profanity. 

The majority of the swears you hear during an MLB broadcast are like this one from Joc Pederson—a forceful exclamation after a disappointing outcome. 

But Sunday’s MLB action featured some truly exquisite, inspired cursing. Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long, upset with the work of home plate umpire Will Little, managed to squeeze four obscenities into just a four-second outburst. That’s impressive efficiency. 

Content is unavailable

Long wasn’t ejected but Washington pitcher Aníbal Sánchez was asked to leave his spot in the stands, although manager Dave Martinez said after the game that it wasn’t exactly an ejection.

Martinez was apologetic about Long’s outburst and regretted that things usually confined to the field are now broadcast to the whole world. 

“Those things happen. It kind of stinks that you can hear everything. I try to muffle everything with this mask,” he said. “If I do say something I try to cover it up with my mouth. It’s just part of the game, but it is ugly. I’m not going to lie to you.”

Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire’s ejection from his team’s game against Cleveland showed that it’s not just the players and coaches using unsavory language. Gardenhire got tossed and home plate up Tim Timmons got caught telling Gardy to “get the f--- outta here.”

Timmons may have a potty mouth but on the other hand, he knows proper mask etiquette. When Gardenhire came out to argue with his mask below his nose, Timmons kindly reminded him to pull it up. 

Not to be outdone, Don Mattingly’s frustration with the umpiring crew’s work during the Marlins’ weekend series with the Braves finally boiled over in the fifth inning of Sunday’s finale. Home plate umpire James Hoye tossed him from the dugout and Mattingly came out to get his money’s worth. His extended argument with Hoye was a masterpiece of the hot mic art form. 

“You guys f---ed us in every game,” Mattingly told Hoye in a profanity-laced tirade that lasted nearly two minutes. 

People with children may not like it, but stuff like this is making it so much more enjoyable to watch games in the empty-stadium era. It’s usually pretty rare to have a hot mic pick up a conversation like Aaron Boone’s “My guys are f---ing savages in that box” or umpire Tom Hallion telling Terry Collins “our ass is in the jackpot.” Now you’re having that happen multiple times per day. It’s a real treat. 

The best of SI

Parents of Big Ten football players are demanding answers after the conference quickly decided to cancel the season. ... The prevailing emotion in college sports right now? Misery. ... The 20 teams that don’t stand a chance of winning the Super Bowl.

Around the sports world

Ja Morant played the Grizzlies’ final four games (including one in which he dropped 35 points) with a broken thumb. ... FC Dallas and Nashville SC stayed in the locker room for the national anthem before Sunday’s game after fans booed and threw trash when they kneeled during the anthem last week. ... Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started a petition to get the Big Ten to reverse its decision to cancel the fall season.

1, 2, 3, 4 homers in a row

A more wholesome hot mic example

Alex Smith’s comeback has been remarkable

The placement on this shot was insane

Can’t beat this music

Such a casual ace

Five-star hair

Alabama’s AD reacts to seeing a mask-less crowd in Tuscaloosa

Content is unavailable

Crazy crash at the Austrian Grand Prix

Content is unavailable

(The rider, Hafizh Syahrin, only suffered some bruises.)

Bayern Munich sent Barcelona packing with *eight goals*

Not sports

Scientists have found a way to alter ordinary bricks so they can store electricity. ... Seth Rogen is urging Canadians to stay home and smoke weed instead of going out to social gatherings. ... Facebook is starting to integrate its Messenger app into Instagram’s direct messages feature.

Real end of the world stuff

A fire tornado was spotted in California

And a wild lightning storm hit San Francisco

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.

Published
Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

Home/Extra Mustard