New York Mets announcer Gary Cohen pokes fun at Houston Astros in 'virtual' broadcast
To make up for the lack of baseball, Sportsnet New York (SNY) — the television home of the New York Mets — is simulating the team's regular season on the MLB The Show 20 video game.
On Tuesday night, with virtual Jacob deGrom toeing the rubber against the Houston Astros and their ace Justin Verlander, SNY added a wrinkle by having its broadcast team of Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez on the call.
Around the middle innings, Cohen — the play-by-play man — couldn't help himself and made a joke alluding to the Astros' scandal-ridden offseason.
"You can hear very little from the crowd tonight. It almost feels like you're playing in a library," Cohen said, setting up the punchline. "Which would mean that any sound that might be emanating from the dugout, say, the sound of a trash can being banged, would be quite formidable."
An MLB investigation during the offseason revealed an elaborate, player-driven electronic sign-stealing operation used by the Astros during 2017, the year they won the World Series, and during most of 2018, including the playoffs.
One of the scheme's techniques involved players signaling the incoming pitch to the hitter at the plate by banging a trash can near the dugout.
The Mets won Tuesday's simulation 2-1, and 1-0 in the burn department.