There are home run calls, and there’s Paul Severino calling a walk-off home run.
Jake Burger delivered for the Miami Marlins on Sunday, as did Severino, the team’s TV play-by-play voice on Bally Sports Florida.
Having already blown the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Chicago White Sox were looking to get the game into extra innings. Wins have been hard to come by for both teams, but especially for Chicago, which came into Sunday’s matinee with 36 of their 65 losses on the road.
Thanks to Burger, that figure is now 37 of 66. The former White Sox first baseman was traded to Miami during last season’s MLB trade deadline in exchange for pitching prospect Jake Eder. While they had Jesús Sánchez in a 2-1 count, White Sox closer Michael Kopech intentionally walked Sánchez to get to Burger.
And on a 1-1 pitch, the 28-year-old Burger delivered an absolute burger of his own.
Here’s Severino’s call:
“And Burger drives it deep to left center, ‘gimme that burger to go. It’s a walk-off win!!!”
Severino did take that burger to go, as the Marlins took 2 out of from the White Sox, finishing out their home slate for the first half of the 2024 MLB season.
Announcer puns with last names, especially on home runs, are a classic (shoutout to John Sterling), but this call from Severino was in a league of its own. Simple, tasteful, and electric all at once – it doesn’t get more elite than that.
And when you’re the voice of a franchise that entered Monday with a dismal 32-58 record, moments like these are like finding a diamond in the rough. So when Severino has a chance to truly let loose, he embraces it.
Sure, you could scoff at the excitement for a team 26 games under .500, but a walk-off home run against your former team to clinch a series win? That deserves a call of this magnitude, regardless of the standings.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.
Recent Posts
Creighton announcer goes nuts over referee’s ‘horsecrap’ call
"Unbelievable bailout call by an incompetent referee!"
Dave Portnoy accepts Stephen A. Smith’s apology: He ‘bent the knee’
"I respect Stephen A. And I’m glad he adhered and bent the knee and gave the apology. So, I am thankful that war is over"
Pablo Torre: Legal gambling could spell end of sports’ ‘cultural supremacy’ as fans root for payouts rather than teams
"They're convincing people to watch these games not because of these teams involved or the quality of the players, but because there are these other things to root for."
Kellen Moore defends Justin Tucker tryout: ‘There’s been some stuff that’s been unfortunate’
"There’s been some stuff that’s been unfortunate. He’s gone through an experience"
Scott Van Pelt: ‘Zero issue’ with Group of 5 inclusion in College Football Playoff
"I have zero issue with the inclusion of the small guy, because the big guys are going to get their a** kicked by the best, too."
Players Era Festival ‘in discussions’ with ESPN, Fox, Netflix, TNT for media rights deal
The tournament is expanding to 32 teams next season.