ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania followed in the footsteps of so many celebrities and corporate leaders by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Sunday’s Philadelphia Phillies-Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field. And for someone whose job duties keep a phone in his right hand for most hours of the day, limiting available long toss time, he did pretty well. Decent enough that he will not be going viral for a hilariously bad effort.
Though Charania’s pitch had respectable velocity, his command left a bit to be desired as his offering had way too much glove-side run. This lack of accuracy led to the reporter giving an immediate and accurate non-verbal assessment of the attempt.
Here’s ESPN’s coverage of their NBA insider Shams Charania’s first pitch ahead of “Sunday Night Baseball.” “Not bad. Now, if Shams were catching it, the ball would bounce, and he would scoop it.” pic.twitter.com/iEB1HLwqoO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 27, 2025
Tim Kurkjian, in the clip above from Sunday Night Baseball, had a clever line on the development.
“Not bad,” he said. “Now, if Shams were catching it, the ball would bounce and he would scoop it.”
The Cubs mascot, who must be a much easier grader than Charania, was far more excited by the pitch but perhaps that’s just an example of a good cathcer supporting their pitcher on the mound no matter what.
