Keith Hernandez may be one of the more polarizing color commentators across Major League Baseball, but what occurred during Wednesday night’s telecast of the New York Mets’ game against the Philadelphia Phillies might make even his harshest critics feel somewhat bad for the man.
During the fourth inning of the Mets’ 8-4 victory, the sound of a wind-chime ring tone could be heard from SNY’s broadcast booth. Play-by-play man Gary Cohen asked Hernandez the reason behind the interruption.
It turns out it was an alert emanating from Hernandez’s iPad.
“I had the … don’t go there. I could just …,” Hernandez said, per the New York Post. “I have a slight emergency at home, that’s what it is. Everything is fine.”
The “slight emergency at home” involved a pressing issue involving his beloved cat, Hadji, as Hernandez explained.
“I thought I had the iPad turned off, obviously I didn’t,” Hernandez continued. “It’s nothing serious. Someone was supposed to feed my cat and she hasn’t fed the cat in awhile. She used the wrong key and it’s jammed in the door and I am not sure I’ll be able to get in my house tonight.”
The best part of the entire sequence was how Mets left fielder Dominic Smith belted a two-run homer to break a scoreless tie just as Hernandez was wrapping up his tale.
In the end, the small disruption amounted to little more than some slightly awkward moments for Hernandez and the rest of the SNY crew. Let’s hope not only is Hadji no worse for wear, but also that Hernandez was able to get into his home and provide his feline friend some much-needed nourishment.
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