Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams came as close as any pitcher this season to pitching a complete game no-hitter during Wednesday’s game against the New York Mets. But Williams was unfortunately unable to overcome the dreaded announcer jinx from hundred of miles away, courtesy of Chicago Cubs play-by-play voice Boog Sciambi.
Sciambi, who was on the call of Wednesday’s game between the Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds on Marquee Sports Network, was following along with Williams dominant outing against the Mets like nearly every other baseball fan was on Wednesday afternoon.
In the top of the fifth inning of the Cubs-Reds game, Sciambi informed viewers of Williams’ no-hitter bid, admitting that he was watching the Mets-Guardians game while he was calling the Cubs game.
“Alright, so I’m just going to go full disclosure,” said Sciambi. “It’s the top of the fifth, The Cubs, one, the Reds, nothing. We work in this game. We love the Cubs, we love baseball. Gavin Williams is throwing a no-hitter right now for the Cleveland Guardians. He just struck out Lindor. Nobody throws no-hitters anymore. With one out in the ninth (inning), he is throwing a no-hitter. And I am currently watching that game while calling this game. And I’m scared that I’m going to call play-by-play from that game.”
“Well, you go ahead and lock in on that,” added Cubs color analyst Jim Deshaies. “We’ll sit back and enjoy some afternoon baseball here at Wrigley. Watch Cade Horton do his thing, pounding the strike zone.”
Sciambi and Deshaies then threw it down to Cubs on-field reporter Elise Menaker for a report on Cade Horton, the starting pitcher for the Cubs on Wednesday, while Sciambi locked in on Williams’ no-hit bid in New York.
And unfortunately, by the time that Menaker had finished her report, Williams’ no-hit bid was no longer after Juan Soto spoiled the party with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Naturally, Sciambi would provide an update on the ruined no-hit bid, getting some flack from Jim Deshaies for “jinxing” Williams attempt at breaking the year-long drought of a complete game no hitter in baseball.
“Elise, breaking news,” said Sciambi. “Juan Soto has just homered off of Gavin Williams to break up the no-hitter. And now I’m gonna turn that game off.”
“You can jinx a no-hitter from a thousand miles away,” joked Deshaies.
The unwritten rule for broadcasters regarding no-hit bids to not directly mention it on-air until it is over has always been up for debate in baseball. Sciambi obviously thought that he would be exempt of this rule considering he wasn’t directly calling the Mets-Guardians game.
As Jim Deshaies alluded to, announcer jinxes clearly know no bounds. So maybe Sciambi will refrain from mentioning no-hitters around baseball in the future.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.