Video: Chip Caray’s “Line Drive Base Hit” Call

TBS announcer Chip Caray’s call in the tenth inning of Tuesday’s Twins-Tigers playoff game might be the most egregiously inaccurate MLB play-by-play ever.

Instead of describing the game action, Caray seemed to be discussing some alternate universe, where a popup to the left fielder miraculously becomes a “line drive base hit.”

Caray’s grandfather, Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, used to famously mispronounce names. His grandson Chip mispronounces entire game situations.

Here’s what was really happening in the Twins-Tigers matchup. In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Twins, who were trailing after the Tigers had scored at the top of the inning,  had tied up the game. Minnesota had runners on first and third off Tiger pitcher Fernando Rodney, with only one out, and were threatening to win the game.

So when Twins second baseman Nick Punto hit the ball towards left fielder Ryan Raburn, Caray thought he was narrating the game-winning play. “Line drive base hit!” he screamed. Only thing is, it wasn’t a base hit. Raburn caught the ball,  then threw it towards home, where catcher Gerald Laird tagged out pinchrunner Alexi Castilla. The double play ended the inning, and sent the game into the 10th.

Caray described that action this way:

Line drive base hit. Caught out there. Runner tags. Here he comes. Throw to the plate on target and in time. A double play ends the tenth.

Fortunately for Castilla and the Twins, after making the last out in that inning, Castilla ended up getting the game-winning hit in the 12th to catapult the Twins into the playoffs. But Caray’s call stands as a reminder of some strange alternate history of the game.

Photo by ssus2hyphens