Braves fans need to calm down about Joe Buck’s call of Freddie Freeman’s home run

Joe Buck did nothing wrong here.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning WinSubscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Joe Buck, who I think is the GOAT of announcing, is used to having fans being upset with him for things he says while calling a game. He knows his name is always trending during games that he’s working and he knows that usually means people aren’t saying nice things about him on Twitter.

That was true again last night as Braves fans got really upset with Buck for his call of Freddie Freeman’s solo home run in seventh inning that gave Atlanta a 7-0 lead and was their final run before clinching the World Series in Houston.

Here was the call:

“1-1 pitch. Flies into left center field… well hit… back at the wall… it is gone! A home run for Freddie Freeman! How about that!? In what might be his last at-bat for the Atlanta Braves he just made it 7-0 with a shot into left-center field.”

The part they are upset about is when Buck had the gall(!) to make mention of the fact that it might be Freeman’s last at-bat as a member of the Atlanta Braves, a franchise he has been with since coming into the league in 2010. He’s going to be a free agent this offseason and last night very well could have been his final game with the team.

Joe Buck has a job to do and he did it last night. That job means telling the story of what is happening and mentioning that it could be Freeman’s last at-bat with the team was a big part of that story in that moment. I don’t follow the Braves all that closely and when I heard Buck say that about Freeman I immediately thought it was interesting and made the moment more impactful.

Joe Buck’s job isn’t to coddle a fanbase and shield them from a storyline they might not want to hear in that moment. That would be a disservice to all the other fans who are watching the game.

Buck made his comment, he commended the home run, and he moved on. There really shouldn’t be anyone upset with that. He’s a storyteller who told the right story in the right moment.

Instead, Braves fans should be a celebrating an incredible team and wild run that ended with an improbable World Series title.

Don’t be so sensitive about this, Braves fans!

Quick hits: Ozzie Albies becomes hilarious meme… NFL trade deadline winners and losers… Pippen rips Jordan… And more. 

– Braves star Ozzie Albies looking into the dirt cam at second base last night became a hilarious meme. That guy is too funny/cool.

– Christian D’Andrea looks at the winners and losers of yesterday’s NFL trade deadline.

– Scottie Pippen is not happy with Michael Jordan, at all.

– Steelers players hilariously trolled Mike Tomlin by wearing USC gloves.

– Are the new NBA balls the reason for early shooting slumps?

[mm-video type=video id=01fkhy1ex0j0q92ztkxh playlist_id=01f09p3bf720d8rg02 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fkhy1ex0j0q92ztkxh/01fkhy1ex0j0q92ztkxh-68484f4c85947d373ce671bb023478c6.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=1028959]