1. We love a creative celebration. We especially love a creative celebration that involves props.
So we were highly impressed with what we saw in Baltimore on Monday night.
Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle went deep in the third inning against the A’s. When he got back to Baltimore’s dugout, one of his teammates was there waiting for him with … a funnel. And a bottle of water to pour into said funnel.
Come for the home run, stay for the celly. pic.twitter.com/WVtTCQYzRy
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 10, 2023
In the sixth inning outfielder Austin Hays hit a homer, and he was also welcomed back to the dugout with the funnel.
We’re staying hydrated over here tbh pic.twitter.com/ZQnySlcUpe
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 11, 2023
The Orioles broadcaster called this the “hydration station. However, fans on social media immediately dubbed this celebration the “Dong Bong.”
Orioles players, though, want everyone to know it’s actually the “Homer Hose.”
“We want to make sure that it’s rebranded a little bit. It’s a homer hose, not a, uh, a dong bong,” pitcher Kyle Gibson told The Baltimore Sun after allowing one run in 6.1 innings in the 5–1 win over Oakland. “So it’s a homer hose, just like as a kid, you go out back, you take a drink from the water hose after you play outside playing Wiffle ball. So we’ve got to turn the water faucet on celebration when you hit a single. We’ve got a sprinkler when you hit an extra-base hit, and then it’s a homer hose when you hit a homer, just so we know that we get that straight.”
If Gibson thinks Orioles fans are going to go with “Homer Hose” over “Dong Bong,” well, good luck with that.
2. Pricing for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube has been unveiled.
For YouTube TV subscribers:
• $349 ($249 if you purchase before June 6)
• $389 ($289 before June 6) if you bundle with RedZone
Non–YouTube TV subscribers:
• $449 ($349 if you purchase before June 6)
• $489 ($389 before June 6) if you bundle with RedZone
YouTube also announced it will offer a multiview option where you can watch four games at once.
YouTube’s version of NFL Sunday Ticket will be a little pricier than DirecTV’s, but also more accessible, and with features like multi view. The details: https://t.co/OuLQCAK8FJ
— Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) April 11, 2023
3. Despite the lack of drama, CBS still got good news on the ratings front for the final round of the Masters on Easter Sunday.
Just over 12 million people tuned in, making it the most-watched golf telecast since the 2018 Masters final round, which drew 13.04 million viewers. The 12.05 million viewers were also up 19% over last year's final round of the Masters.
4. SNY, which airs Mets games locally here in New York, does a superior job with production and announcing. However, this bit from last night to add some drama to the pitch clock countdown is a big no.
this shot + pitch clock overlay on the SNY broadcast makes it feel like a nerve-wracking episode of 24 where the safety of everyone at Citi Field is entirely reliant on Max Scherzer striking out Trent Grisham pic.twitter.com/FDtlSjP2Uk
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) April 11, 2023
5. The White Sox and Pirates got into a scuffle Sunday, which saw the relievers run in from the bullpen.
Benches cleared in Pittsburgh! pic.twitter.com/CBiJzLciX6
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) April 9, 2023
One of those pitchers was Chicago’s Joe Kelly, who landed on the injured list Monday due to that scuffle.
Joe Kelly tweaked his groin while running onto the field in yesterday’s bench clearer in Pittsburgh.
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) April 10, 2023
6. This week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina features a conversation with New York Post sports media reporter Andrew Marchand about the latest sports media news. Topics discussed during the podcast include:
- Pat McAfee’s broadcasting future on why he may opt out of his current deal with FanDuel
- Two factors that led to big ratings for the women’s NCAA tournament on ABC-ESPN
- Fallout from the WWE’s being sold to Endeavor
- Whether Charles Barkley will add another job to his schedule and team up with Gayle King
- The NBA’s television and streaming future
- Flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video
- Derek Jeter’s joining Fox
- The disturbing discourse on Twitter
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.
