John Flaherty makes ultimate announcer jinx just before walk-off homer beat Yankees

Is the announcer jinx a real thing? That’s up to each individual to decide. But after the ending of Sunday’s game between the New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies, even the announcer jinx’s most fervent deniers would have to at least second guess their position.

The Yankees scored two runs in the top of the 11th to take a 7-5 lead. In the bottom of the 11th, Colorado’s Nolan Jones tied the game with a two-run homer that — despite going 450 feet — John Flaherty initially said was “popped up” while calling the game for the YES Network. Later in the inning, Alan Trejo came to the plate for the Rockies with two outs and nobody on.

As Yankee pitcher Ron Marinaccio was getting ready to throw a 2-0 pitch, Flaherty said, “Trejo, 120 at-bats does not have a home run this year.” Trejo offered at the pitch and bat met ball right as Flaherty was finishing the word “year.”

The ball was drilled and easily cleared the left-center field wall at Coors Field, giving the Rockies a victory.

Baseball fans took notice of the jinx.

https://twitter.com/purpledinocast/status/1680716427647668224

Jinxes aren't real, but that doesn't make this any less awesome. https://t.co/2SXWJuuLzQ

— Bruce Ciskie (@BruceCiskie) July 16, 2023

This is not the first announcer jinx that we’ve ever seen and make no mistake, it won’t be the last. It’s very possible that Patrick Mahomes will throw an interception moments after an announcer says he hasn’t thrown one in two weeks, or that Steph Curry will brick a free throw on the heels of an announcer saying he’s made his last 150 attempts. But it’s unlikely that announcer will be uttering the jinx as the ball is in the air.

It’s the timing that sets Flaherty’s announcer jinx on Sunday apart from the rest and makes it a true work of art.