During Sunday’s matchup between the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics, Rangers color commentator David Murphy executed a perfect “reverse announcer jinx.”
The moment came in the fifth inning, with Texas holding a 3-0 lead. With one out and a runner on second, Rangers leadoff hitter Josh Smith stepped up to the plate. Athletics starter J.T. Ginn was still pitching, meaning Smith was seeing him for the third time that game. With a 2-0 count, announcer Jared Sandler mentioned how well Texas has been hitting against pitchers on their third trip through the lineup, prompting Murphy to ask, “Is this like an automatic double?”
As if on cue, Smith ripped the next pitch down the right-field line.
“Oh, there’s a line drive, it might be,” Sandler exclaimed. “[Michael Helman] rounds third, he comes home. Smith to second. Yeah, he’s in there with a double.”
While not as widely recognized as the traditional announcer jinx, Murphy demonstrated that a reverse jinx, when timed perfectly, can also become a memorable highlight of a broadcast.
