Joe Buck’s call of the moment the San Francisco Giants punched their ticket to the 2014 World Series was perfectly simple.
“Hits one into right,” Buck said emphatically as Travis Ishikawa ripped a line drive toward the right field fence in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night. “The Giants win the pennant.”
Buck’s call of Ishikawa’s walk-off home run in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series wasn’t over the top. It featured nothing extraneous or groundbreaking, and there have been far crazier calls in Major League Baseball postseason history.
But that’s the point.
Buck’s call played on Russ Hodges’ call of Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to win the 1951 National League pennant — you know, “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” — without stepping on any toes or going overboard.
Social media certainly approved.
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[tweet https://twitter.com/JackCurryYES/status/522948481129144321 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/CJNitkowski/status/522949876967944192 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/MollyMcGrathFS1/status/522966468237852672 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/PeteBlackburn/status/522949467667177473 align=’center’]
Short. Sweet. Contextual.
Love Buck or hate him, Thursday’s call was a winner.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
