The Rogers Centre produced one of those nights that had everyone glued to their screens on Friday. Game 6 of the 2025 World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers offered the kind of drama that transcends the sport itself. With the Blue Jays chasing their first championship since 1993, fans across the sports landscape tuned in. Among them was Stephen A. Smith, the outspoken NBA commentator known for his fiery opinions and animated delivery. But when he took to X to share his reaction to the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory, one small mistake triggered a wave of online ridicule.

The ninth inning played out like a Hollywood finale. The Dodgers led 3-1, and the Blue Jays were desperately trying to keep their hopes alive. With runners on second and third and one out, Andres Gimenez lined out to left fielder Kiké Hernandez, who threw to second to double off Addison Barger. The Blue Jays’ third baseman had drifted too far off the bag, and that mistake ended the game. The Dodgers secured the win, tying the series 3-3 and setting up a do-or-die Game 7.

Stephen A. Smith watched the dramatic finish and quickly posted his reaction on X. “Great game in the World Series — Dodgers win 3-1,” he wrote. “Barber for the @BlueJays picked off at 2nd after a line drive to left. Here’s my thing: How in the hell do you get picked off on a line drive. Message: Little League teaches you… a runner on 2nd Base FREEZES on line drives. Baseball 101. But great pick off by KiKe Hernandez!”

Only one problem — his name is Addison Barger, not Barber. That single typo was all it took to unleash a storm of mockery online. Within minutes, fans pounced on the mix-up, turning Smith’s attempted baseball analysis into an internet-wide punchline.

Smith didn’t just get the name wrong. He doubled down by criticizing Barger’s baseball fundamentals with the confidence of a seasoned analyst. The repeated references to “Little League” and “Baseball 101” only made the blunder more cringeworthy. Fans weren’t merely correcting him — they were questioning whether an analyst who couldn’t spell a player’s name had any business lecturing about baseball’s basics.

Smith’s history with baseball commentary has long been rocky. In 2021, he faced heavy backlash after claiming Shohei Ohtani couldn’t be the face of Major League Baseball because he used an interpreter. The remark drew immediate criticism from ESPN colleagues and the Asian American community during a time of heightened anti-Asian sentiment. Smith later apologized, saying he had “screwed up” and calling his remarks “insensitive and regrettable.”

Now, four years later, Smith is once again trending in baseball circles — but for all the wrong reasons.

Fan reacts, Journalism 101: Name the player.

This time, it was a spelling error that became the story. One fan summed up the sentiment perfectly: “Journalism 101. Get the player’s name correct. Let’s start there.” Before Smith could credibly question Barger’s baseball IQ, fans argued, he needed to show he knew who the player was.

The mistake quickly snowballed into comedy gold. “Bro called him Barber LOL,” one user joked, capturing how bizarre the slip-up seemed, given how easy it would have been to double-check. In seconds, Smith had turned one letter into a viral headline.

Others noted he misused terms while describing the play. “Someone named ‘Barber’ probably did get picked off. BARGER, the player in question, got doubled off. Two different things and two different names. Great reporting as usual from the ‘worldwide leader,’” another user wrote. The correction exposed not just a spelling issue but a misunderstanding of the play itself. Barger wasn’t “picked off” at all; he was “doubled off” after a catch — a completely different baseball scenario.

Not everyone agreed with Smith’s baseball critique either. “Tying run, bottom 9, one out? You have to cheat a little, or you don’t know baseball,” one fan countered. The argument flipped Smith’s “Baseball 101” lecture on its head, suggesting that Barger’s baserunning decision was a strategic gamble under postseason pressure, not a youth-level mistake.

Some fans also questioned why Smith was analyzing baseball at all. “Oh, so you’re a baseball expert now 😂,” one user teased, echoing a common sentiment about Smith’s ventures beyond basketball commentary. While respected in NBA circles, his takes on other sports often feel out of place — a perception reinforced by this latest viral moment.

The 2025 World Series now heads to Game 7, with the Blue Jays still one win away from their first title in 32 years. As for Stephen A. Smith, his latest misfire proves once again that before doling out lessons on “Baseball 101,” it’s best to review “Spelling 101.”