‘Jose Altuve is WHAT?’ Probably what fans thought after an awkward broadcasting gaffe during Tuesday’s matchup between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
John Schriffen, the White Sox play-by-play announcer, was trying to describe a routine flyout by Altuve when he appeared to use an offensive slur while referring to the player. Although he immediately corrected himself, the moment had already gone viral, with thousands of people reacting to it on social media.
“Tristan Peters is there, and Altuve reta***d.” Schriffen could be heard on the microphone, and he corrected himself within a second, saying, “Retired.”
The teams were tied at nil until the fourth inning, when Altuve appeared at the plate in the bottom of the inning. He had suffered a flyout earlier in his first at-bat and was trying to put his team ahead on the following pitch. But it ended up with a very similar result. Altuve attempted to send the 76-mph knuckle curve from Chicago starter Sean Burke. Instead, it turned into a popup to center, and Peters gloved it safely.
While this was a routine play for a baseball game, the announcement made it quite unusual for the fans. In fact, this reminds us of a similar instance from Chip Caray.
Back in June 2025, the St. Louis Cardinals’ TV announcer was talking about the team’s upcoming Disability Pride event.
“Disability Pride Night is Thursday, July 10. With a theme ticket, the fans take home a Cardinals cap featuring the Disability Pride Flag,” Caray said.
Or at least that’s what he wanted to say. But instead of uttering “flag,” he forgot one letter from it, turning it into a slur. He corrected himself within an instant, but the half-minute silence following that announcement made it quite painful for so many fans.
Still, this was not as bad as the embarrassing hot mic moment Buster Posey suffered about a month ago. The president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants was on a call with KNBR’s Murph & Markus mid-July.
After the call was over, a producer seemed to be checking if the mics were working properly, and after making sure that they were, he dropped a bomb without realizing they were still on.
“Posey sucks, man,” he said.
Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher didn’t initially react to it, and after a caller brought it up during the next segment, they tried to downplay the incident by suggesting it was an AI glitch.
Tuesday’s incident was a bit less awkward, as Schriffen’s slip-up was purely accidental. While that moment passed quickly, the Astros suffered a 5-1 loss to Chicago, and more concerningly, Jose Altuve went 0-for-3, extending his frustrating season.
Jose Altuve’s struggle only made the moment more striking
As of now, the veteran is batting at .244 in 2026. This is his worst batting average, excluding 2020. Altuve’s on-base percentage and slugging percentage are somewhat good, but his OPS of .701 is again one of his career-worst.
He has managed only 41 RBIs this season, including just 14 home runs over 113 games. His entire season has been like this. Back in June, he even had a moment of visible frustration on the field, and his manager, Joe Espada, admitted that “he’s pissed.”
The 36-year-old is otherwise known as an even-keeled player, but after trying to swing at a ball high above the zone and suffering his third strike in a game against the Cleveland Guardians, he lost his cool.
Altuve slammed his helmet so hard that a crack was audible, but he didn’t stop there. He then flung his bat in the air and went straight to the dugout. His 5-year, $125 million contract extension runs till 2029, but his current form isn’t offering much hope to the team.
However, the Astros are atop the AL West with a 71-69 record. So, while his form isn’t an immediate concern for the franchise, they will need their veteran star to step up his game come October.