Inside The Phillies

Phillies Announcer Takes Hilarious Random Jab At Division Rival

The Philadelphia Phillies announcer had some fun with a division rival on Monday night.
Dylan Sanders|
Apr 16, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) reacts while
Apr 16, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) reacts while | Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies won handedly against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night by a score of 7-0, but one of the more entertaining moments came from the announcing crew.

In the top of the fifth inning, J.T. Realmuto hit a double that scored Kyle Schwarber from first base. As Schwarber is not known for his speed, some were surprised he was able to make it all the way home. Among those was Philadelphia announcer Scott Franzke.

While celebrating the double and making the call for the play, Franzke made a joke that included rival infielder Marcell Ozuna from the Atlanta Braves.

"It's going all the way to the corner, Kyle Schwarber is showing off that sprint speed," said Franzke with a laugh. "Who said he ain't fast? [Marcell] Ozuna never would have scored."

The reactions to the call were exactly what you would expect. Phillies fans laughing and Atlanta fans complaining.

Franzke has done sports commentary since 1997 and has been in Philadelphia since 2006. He is very aware of the rivalry between the two clubs and is playing into it for the Phillies fans.

Ozuna makes for an easy target because of the hot start to the season that he has had. He is on the minds of many thanks to his .338/.404/.713 slashing line to start the season with nine home runs in 20 games.

When digging into the numbers though, there might be some truth to the joke that Franzke made. According to Baseball Savant's data, Schwarber is actually faster than Ozuna.

The lefty Philadelphia slugger has a sprint speed of 24.6 feet per second this season and a running value of seven. The Braves hitter has a running value of two and a sprint speed of 23.9 for this season.

Truth or not, it was just a fun moment that highlights what makes baseball so special.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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