Ramon Laureano’s frustration vocabulary is not suited for a live television audience.
Frustrations clearly got the best of Ramon Laureano on this gap shot for the whole world to see.
In Game 3 of their AL Wild Card series vs. the Chicago White Sox, the Oakland Athletics outfielder was mic’d up for an in-game interview with ESPN. While it has been an appreciated part of their in-game coverage, this is what happens when it goes wrong. The stakes are high in a win-or-go-home ballgame, so it wasn’t the least bit surprising Laureano unleashed a loud audible F-bomb on TV.
https://twitter.com/BaseballThomasB/status/1311761628312948736
Every run is precious in October, and Ramon Laureano is very well aware of that.
Despite having the longest tenured manager in all of baseball in Bob Melvin, the A’s haven’t exactly been the champions of October since 2011. In fact, this team has never been to a World Series in the Moneyball era. So with the biggest game of the season on the line, it was equal parts cruel and entertaining to have Laureano mic’d up in a game his team might get eliminated in.
KEEP RAMON LAUREANO MIC'D UP ALL GAME!
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) October 1, 2020
I honestly can’t decide if Laureano being mic’d up as he’s trying to make plays in center field during a winner-take-all game is awesome or a disaster.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) October 1, 2020
Pretty safe to say Laureano will never be mic’d up ever again
— Snubby (@Snubby21) October 1, 2020
White Sox killing it since Laureano been micd up lol
— Daniel Figueroa (@DFigTheTruth) October 1, 2020
I turned on the sound for the first time today and Ramon Laureano is literally talking about the weather and really they should just let the athletes play baseball.
— Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman) October 1, 2020
Ramon Laureano’s legendary last 3 answers to these abhorrent in game interview questions
— David Rosenthal (@_therealdrose) October 1, 2020
“Yeah”
“No”
“Yeah”
Maybe it’s just me (it isn’t), but stop interviewing players mid game in a PLAYOFF GAME.
Ramon Laureano being forced to do an in-game interview while his team is borderline eliminated by the White Sox is cruel
— Adam Weinrib (@AdamWeinrib) October 1, 2020
Not that I'm watching at work or anything, but I am really enjoying the players mic'd up and talking during the game. Especially Laureano getting four straight hit to him in center and playing thru the interview.
— Dave Mlnarik (@davemlnarik) October 1, 2020
If I was an A’s fan, I’d be pissed about ESPN distracting Laureano.
— Brian Chimino (@Brian_Chimino35) October 1, 2020
They gotta get this microphone off Laureano YESTERDAY
— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) October 1, 2020
This inning with Laureano mic’d up f-bombs and all is golden
— Stacie Wheeler (@StacieMWheeler) October 1, 2020
Ramon Laureano was mic'd up for a total of one pitch in centerfield before dropping an F-bomb.
— Richie O'Reilly (@richieoreillyIV) October 1, 2020
And people said live TV and baseball were dead... 😂
OK Ramon Laureano is giving an interview while playing center field in the third inning of an elimination game. This is both very cool and very ridiculous at the same time
— Adam Aizer (@AdamAizer) October 1, 2020
Is ESPN seriously interviewing Ramon Laureano WHILE he's playing left field? The dugouts interviews are bad enough, but while he's playing the outfield? How can non-commissioner Manfred allow this? I know TV rules but you gotta draw a line somewhere, especially in postseason.
— John Feinstein (@FeinsteinTweets) October 1, 2020
Laureano is gonna rip that mic off soon.
— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) October 1, 2020
Laureano must be a very nice fellow. The dude is at work and he'd be well within his right to take that mic and throw it over the fence.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) October 1, 2020
The A’s were able to stave off elimination on Wednesday, but had no answer for Lucas Giolito on the mound in the best-of-three series opener on Tuesday. The winner of this crucial postseason game will take on the No. 6-seeded Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium. If it is Chicago who advances, it will be the Astros who will be in the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ dugout and clubhouse.
With this being the only Game 3 of the four-game postseason slate after Game 2 of the Miami Marlins vs. the Chicago Cubs game got rained out, there is no Thursday contest that can match this intensity. Though the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers can advance like the Atlanta Braves did with a win, they’re not going home like either the A’s or White Sox will with another loss.
While it was unfortunate to happen on live television, nobody is blaming Laureano, just ESPN.