It wouldn’t be the MLB All-Star Game without iconic miked-up moments.
During Tuesday night’s game, the Fox broadcast of Joe Davis and John Smoltz talked with various players on the field while they were in the middle of playing or waiting in the dugout.
Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah was miked up while he was on the mound during the second inning. Davis and the Fox broadcast booth held an entire conversation with the pitcher in between pitches.
Manoah ended the second inning by striking out Ronald Acuña Jr. The broadcast caught his celebration as he cheered into his microphone.
“Right down the middle, but we’ll take it!” Manoah said. “Three punchies! Let’s go!”
The broadcast mixed it up in the top of the third inning by having Braves pitcher Max Fried and Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole talk to each other while they sat in their respective dugouts.
Cole asked Fried whether he’s ever had a home run, to which the 28-year-old admitted he has not, but he does have one walk-off hit. Cole said he has three home runs in his career, but he doesn’t like watching the replays of him running the bases.
In the bottom of the third, Yankees teammates Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were asked how they interact with each other in a normal game as teammates in the outfield.
“We’re playing charades the whole time,” Stanton said. “We ain’t playing rock, paper scissors. We’re trying to see what the pitcher’s gonna throw and making fun of each other. Trying to keep it light out there.”
Yankees catcher Jose Trevino spoke with the broadcast booth at the top of the seventh inning as he went up to bat. He expressed how special his first All-Star appearance meant to him.
The catcher remained miked up as he waited to run the bases while standing on first base.
Home Run Derby runner-up Julio Rodríguez talked during the bottom of the eighth while he was in the outfield. Toward the end of his discussion with Davis and the booth, the Mariners’ star made a big play.
Shortly after Rodríguez was miked up, the broadcast booth switched to talk with White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks as he faced just one batter, Braves’ Travis d’Arnaud.
After getting the out, caught by Rodríguez, the Mariners’ outfielder almost threw the ball into the stands. Hendriks wanted to keep the ball, so he began yelling “Julio,” creating a viral moment.
As the game of baseball continues to evolve, MLB is certainly getting things right with its All-Star Game.
