While Baltimore Orioles star Gunnar Henderson was experiencing a slow start to the 2025 season with a .214/.233/.310 average and no home runs or RBIs, announcers Kevin Brown and Jim Palmer provided a reverse announcer’s jinx on Thursday night, discussing his struggles right before his first at-bat against the Cleveland Guardians. Brown remarked, “Gunnar at .214. Just one walk, 16 strikeouts and he does still not have an RBI in 43 plate appearances,” to which Palmer added, “Or a home run — yet.”
However, that soon changed. On the very next pitch from Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee, Henderson hit a line drive to left-center field. “That ball’s lashed; left-center field,” Brown exclaimed. Although the hit didn’t reach the typical home run height, it managed to stay airborne long enough. “There is your first home run,” Brown announced, confirming that it was indeed Henderson’s first home run and RBI of the season.
Kevin Brown and Jim Palmer with a combined reverse announcer jinx on Gunnar Henderson. pic.twitter.com/HROAjqp2ws
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 17, 2025
While we can’t definitively say it was the reverse announcer jinx that sparked Henderson’s performance, we can affirm that it certainly didn’t hurt.
