Fox announcer Joe Buck’s admiration for Kyle Schwarber, who recently returned from the disabled list to play in the World Series, is getting annoying, if not borderline creepy. Yes, we know, Schwarber fought his way back from a horrible leg injury—getting his first hit of the season in the World Series, which makes him an actual legend or something (we know because Buck has told us at least 187 times over the course of three games). But Indians fans have had enough of Buck’s incessant fawning over this guy. If Schwarber strikes out, Buck declares it to be a brilliant at bat. If he hits a weak nubber to the shortstop, Buck marvels that the guy has the strength to hobble halfway to first base. Indians fans sounded off about Buck’s starry-eyed hyperbole on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CoreyDonahue_/status/791434859231211520
Surprised that Buck is still finishing this game after Schwarber, against all odds, made an out. True perseverance.
— Ed Giles (@InClementeWthr) October 29, 2016
WOW. Security just tackled a streaker at the game running at Kyle Schwarber… It was Joe Buck
— Lil Kev (@FakeLilKev) October 29, 2016
Did Kyle Schwarber return from a torn ACL or from war? Give it a rest @Buck.
— Dawgs By Nature (@DawgsByNature) October 27, 2016
How did Schwarber not hit a bases empty Grand Slam? – Joe Buck
— Dawgs By Nature (@DawgsByNature) October 29, 2016
I wonder if Schwarber had a full and complete breakfast this morning…any updates @Buck?
— Sean Blackburn (@SBlackburn15) October 27, 2016
Joe Buck has a poster of Kyle Schwarber's knee on his bedroom wall.
— John Dingell (@JohnDingell) October 27, 2016
The good news is we'll only have to hear the entire Schwarber story from Joe Buck for 5 more games tops
— Herb Kirkstreit (@THE_OSU) October 26, 2016
It got so bad that even the official Indians twitter account was trolling Buck. (It should be noted that poor Schwarber is not to blame for Buck’s theatrics.)
We have a guy who's made a remarkable comeback from a health issue, too. He hit 2 HRs in Gm 1.
Thanks for telling his story. #RallyTogether https://t.co/UkS0J2klxN
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) October 28, 2016
Scoreless 1.2 from @BryanShaw37, including a popout from Schwarber.
To the ninth. Good guys lead, 1-0. #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/K54Bm4JPo7
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) October 29, 2016
Yan separated his shoulder in July.
Fought back.
Broke his hand in a rehab game.
Homered in a big-league game 2 weeks later.#RallyTogether https://t.co/JXmRiLhpXQ— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) October 29, 2016
Indians fans are so annoyed by Buck’s man crush on Schwarber that they’ve decided to take action. First, there’s a petition on change.org demanding that Fox replace Joe Buck with legendary announcer Bob Uecker. It currently has more than 54,000 signatories.
On Wednesday evening, Buck told FOX 8 Cleveland, “I get blamed for hating every team. I’m in a no-win. I get it. I’m a huge hockey fan, so when I’m at home in St. Louis and I’m listening to how the national guys call the Blues games, it’s like I want my own people calling it. People in Cleveland want their own people calling it. People in Chicago are used to their own people calling it. I get it.”
If I had my way, each team would get to send an announcer to the booth to call World Series games. That way, each team’s fan base would feel represented, and the announcers would have a greater depth of knowledge about the teams—beyond reading factoids from index cards. Maybe that way you could avoid these awful forced narratives about comeback players like Schwarber and the anointed underdog teams like the Cubs (yes, I get that the Cubs have a bigger fan base and there are ratings involved).
In addition to the petition, some disgruntled fans have created a wedding registry for Buck and Schwarber at Bed Bath & Beyond. With a wedding date of 3/4/17, fans have plenty of time to wish the happy couple well with a lovely Fitz and Floyd classic sugar bowl or an Oneida 75-piece flatware set. (Any actual gifts that are purchased will supposedly be donated to charity.)
See next page for some hilarious tweets about the wedding registry from Tribe fans.
Joe Buck-Schwarber wedding registry https://t.co/U5WagHyDZ2
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) October 29, 2016
BREAKING NEWS: Joe Buck and Kyle Schwarber look forward to HAPPILY eloping after this #WorldSeries ! #TribeMania pic.twitter.com/riSGAiEjIn
— Aaron (@aholmes825) October 27, 2016
Joe Buck and Kyle Schwarber are looking forward to spending the offseason together…. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/XWIS4L86P6
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) October 27, 2016
Joe Buck and Kyle Schwarber are looking forward to exploring the globe together…. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/tR3Bs8bP38
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) October 27, 2016
Maybe they can take off a little early? Like before Game 4?
At any rate, it’s Tom Hamilton that Indians fans really want to hear when the game is on the line.
Here's your Hammy call of tonight's final out — a nasty high fastball from Cody.#RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/HXBYP520ot
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) October 29, 2016
Sadly, the TV broadcast is on a delay, so it’s not possible to mute the TV and listen to the radio (trust me, I’ve tried), so it looks like we’re going to be stuck with Buck for the duration.
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