On August 19th, 2020, the sports broadcasting industry saw one of its most infamous moments take place as Thom Brennaman’s MLB career ended live on-air for all the world to see. While working for the Cincinnati Reds remotely during the days of the pandemic, the longtime announcer uttered an anti-gay slur that went out on the air when talking about Kansas City as the Reds were playing the Royals.
In the Top of the 5th inning, Brennaman finally addressed the comments as they became shared everywhere on social media and left the broadcast. He hasn’t been seen on a major sports telecast since. Incredibly, mid-apology, Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos hit a home run, producing one of the most surreal moments ever seen on a sports telecast.
“I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of. If I have hurt anyone out there, I can’t tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart that I am so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, that will be a home run, and so that will make it a 4-0 ballgame.”
In the years since the “as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos” has become enshrined as a meme in popular culture. How much so? The Ringer called it “the perfect meme for these strange times.” The meme even has its own Wikipedia page.
Well, wouldn’t you know, on the third anniversary of the Thom Brennaman incident, Nick Castellanos hit a home run for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Incredibly, Castellanos has only enhanced his reputation of hitting a home run at awkward times in a baseball broadcast on multiple occasions since the Brennaman incident.
At least he decided to mix things up a little bit by hitting the home run the opposite way to right field this time around.