April Fool’s Day is a time when social media posts can’t be taken at face value, though this isn’t too different from any typical day today. Thankfully, many seem to be tiring of the prank culture; however, Tiger Woods managed to pull one over on several sports media outlets for a brief moment before revealing the truth. Similarly, Around the Horn leaned into the fun as they approach their show’s conclusion.
While we don’t mean to contribute to this annoying tradition, a successful April Fool’s joke hinges on its believability and the commitment of those involved. Many jokes fall flat due to lack of dedication. Kudos to Pardon the Interruption hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon for effectively using their curmudgeonly personas to mislead some baseball fans, at least temporarily.
The long-standing ESPN debate show kicked off Tuesday’s episode by discussing Major League Baseball’s supposed plans to ban torpedo bats, which have sparked controversy as the 2025 season approaches. Kornheiser’s delivery was so convincing that it might have led some viewers to believe they missed an official announcement.
BREAKING: MLB is reportedly banning the “Torpedo Bats” after backing them just two days ago. Is baseball right or wrong? pic.twitter.com/iRyTXZuZfz
— PTI (@PTI) April 2, 2025
The two sports commentators then debated the topic, with Wilbon deeming the decision “over-reactionary” while Kornheiser expressed concerns about the bats compromising the game’s “integrity.” Their exchange continued until Kornheiser asked, “Do you want me to say it or do you want to say it, as to what we’re doing here? Which one of us?”
“I like saying it. I’m such a curmudgeon now,” Wilbon replied, before revealing the truth: “That’s an April Fool’s story, you dopes, knuckleheads. April 1.” Kornheiser added, “You know what? When I prepared for this story, I think we did it very well. I think we established positions that we could both live with. I really do, actually.”
In short, despite the surrounding drama, MLB is not banning torpedo bats—at least not yet. However, it’s clear where the PTI hosts would stand should that day come.
