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via Imago

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via Imago

On Sunday, the Yankees faced the Rangers while two broadcasters made a not-so-playful jab at a struggling first baseman’s physique. Moments later, he hit a solo home run that tied the game, turning their humor into a moment of regret. It didn’t stop there. As soon as the ball left the park, MLB fans just roasted them in their classic style.

The player in question is Joc Pederson. When he came up to bat, Yankees broadcasters Ryan Ruocco and David Cone discussed his struggle and contract with a sharp comment about his physique. “You can see the physique has definitely evolved for Joc,” commented Ruocco. Compared to his rookie season—220 pounds as per Baseball Almanac—Pederson has gained some weight, like many athletes over thirty do. But not once, it appear to hinder his performance.

Just last season, before signing with the Diamondbacks on a two-year, $37 million contract, Pederson pulled off a strong season with a .275/.393/.512 slash line. Things have been slow for him this season, as the YES broadcasters highlighted. “There he is, Joc Pederson, who has really struggled,” said Ruocco. He was referring to the 33-year-old’s current .126 batting average and .473 OPS.

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“Stunning, those numbers are absolutely stunning from Joc Pederson, who signed a two-year, $20 million (sic) deal to come over here. Hitting .126,” Cone added. However, their comments soon backfired as Pederson answered with a 408-foot homer some pitches later.

Awful Announcing released the clip, and the broadcasters’ badly timed comments set off a social media storm. This was the perfect opportunity for MLB fans to roast them for the swift karmic justice that followed.

The homer tied the game in the ninth inning. In extra innings, the Rangers came back and beat the Yankees 8–5. Earlier, the broadcasters were making fun of his body. Instead, he threw a punch that made everyone stop talking. The Yankees lost for the fourth time in a row.

There’s no denying that Pederson has been struggling, but he has always kept moving forward. Like he said, “The beautiful thing about baseball is it’s just one pitch at a time.  All I can do is focus on the next one right in front of me and continue to put together quality at-bats.”

Meanwhile, for the Yankees, this loss hurt more than any usual loss. They were in first place for the last AL Wild Card position, but the loss cut their lead to just 1½ games. They are now 60-53 for the season, and with 49 games left, they need to step up their playoff push. As if the home run and loss weren’t already bad for the Yankees, the internet seized it from there, turning one bad broadcast moment into a roast session.

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Did the Yankees broadcasters learn their lesson after Pederson's homer silenced their body-shaming comments?

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Fans unload on the Yankees’ broadcasters

The fan didn’t waste a second to call out the broadcasters. And the Yankees pitcher, Davin Williams, came under the radar. “Devin Williams’ ERA is evolving.” The Yankees’ high-profile bullpen addition was expected to secure leads, but the opposite happened. His ERA has now risen to 5.10 in just 18.1 innings since joining the team mid-season.

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USA Today via Reuters

This fan also echoed the same sentiment. With sarcasm, a fan added, “They called Joc fat while the pitcher’s shirt buttons were screaming in agony…” While broadcasters mocked Pederson’s physique, Williams was seen tensed on the mound. The joke backfired as Pederson hit a home run, raising Williams’ ERA. And the internet was not forgiving.

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Appreciation continued: “Joc shut these loud mouth yappers up.” What better response than giving your team the lead with a game-changing homer?

A simple reminder: “Yankees announcers learning in real time this season the meaning of the phrase ‘talk s–t, get hit.'” It’s a tough lesson in being responsible and a reminder that in baseball, you can’t simply talk the talk. You have to be ready for what happens when the other walks the walk.

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Speaking of roasting Yankees, won’t their rivals chime in? “I’m no fan of Pederson but when the Yankees get embarrassed and lose then we all win!!”This comment nicely sums up the anti-Yankees sentiment shared by many baseball fans. What started as broadcast commentary became a viral lesson about immediate karma delivered with baseball’s perfect timing.

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Did the Yankees broadcasters learn their lesson after Pederson's homer silenced their body-shaming comments?

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