Reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper broke his thumb during Saturday night’s game against the San Diego Padres. And in the moment, Philadelphia Phillies radio analyst Michael Bourn spoke for the entire Philadelphia fan base.
As Harper got hit by Blake Snell’s 97 mph fastball, Phillies radio analyst and former outfielder Michael Bourn let out a very loud “oooh shit!” Bourn’s immediate reaction echoed most of the fan base, only he did it on the radio.
After uttering the expletive, Bourn waited nearly a minute before offering any additional analysis. “Excuse my language, I think a word might have slipped out there,” Bourn finally said.
I’m not sure “slipped” was the right way to categorize Bourn’s use of an expletive there. Accidental, sure, but the “oooh shit!” didn’t slip, it was so clear and blatant that this doesn’t even qualify as a hot mic incident. Bourn knew the mic was hot.
But we should at least credit Bourn for providing appropriate commentary with his inappropriate word. Because although the FCC likely didn’t appreciate the profanity, it offered the radio audience a good sense of how severe the hit by pitch was. A pitch that ultimately landed Harper on the IL with a broken thumb and no date for return.
On Sunday, Bourn was set up with the opportunity to utter another expletive when Phillies pitcher Kyle Gibson hit San Diego Padres batter Jake Cronenworth on the leg. This time, however, Bourn reserved his immediate reaction and provided the audience with an appropriate moment of levity.
“Aren’t you proud of me?” Bourn asked, drawing a laugh out of Phillies radio play-by-play voice Scott Franzke. “You have to be proud of me, Scott. Come on Scott, you gotta give me a little credit. I made an adjustment from yesterday!”
Franzke was proud of his radio partner, acknowledging, “I’ll give you your flowers.”