"A drive into deep left field by Castellanos" is a phrase spoken byThom Brennaman, aplay-by-play announcer for theCincinnati Reds, during abaseball game against theKansas City Royals on August 19, 2020. Brennaman had been replaced in the middle of the broadcast for ahot mic statement in which he said "one of thefag capitals of the world." He gave an on-air apology later on, during which Reds outfielderNick Castellanos hit ahome run; Brennaman interrupted his apology to call the home run, describing the hit as a "drive into deep left field by Castellanos" before continuing. The surreal nature of the apology, as well as future incidents of Castellanos recording hits during other on-air broadcast discussions of negative events, gave it notoriety in baseballinternet culture and has led to its use as acopypasta.
Brennaman, who was broadcasting fromGreat American Ball Park inCincinnati due toCOVID-19 travel precautions, continued into a promotion for the Reds'pre-game show and went on to provide play-by-play commentary for the Reds on Fox Sports Ohio into the second game of the doubleheader.[6][1][2] The slur was not heard over the cable and satellite feed of the game, but rather on MLB'sout-of-marketMLB.TV streaming service. Backlash against Brennaman grew as clips of the incident were shared on social media.[7]
As the top of the fifth inning of the second game was beginning, Brennaman was pulled off the broadcast by Fox Sports Ohio.[8] Before being replaced byJim Day, Brennaman issued an apology on the air:[9]
3–0 ballgame with the Reds in front of the Royals as we go to the top half of the fifth inning, Castellanos to lead things off. Jim Day's gonna be taking us the rest of the way through this game as Holland takes over on the mound. Um, I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of. If I have hurt anyone out there, I can't tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart, I'm so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith—as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, it will be a home run, and so that'll make it a 4–0 ballgame. I don't know if I'm gonna be putting on this headset again.I don't know if it's gonna be for the Reds, I don't know if it's gonna be for my bosses at Fox. I want to apologize for the people who sign my paycheck—for the Reds, for Fox Sports Ohio, for the people I work with, for anybody that I've offended here tonight. I can't begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. That is not who I am. It never has been. And I'd like to think maybe I could have some peoplethat could back that up. I am very, very sorry, and I beg for your forgiveness. Jim Day will take you the rest of the way home.[9]
Some media commentators noted that the apology appeared weak and insincere.[15][16][17][18]Human Rights Campaign presidentAlphonso David described the incident as "unfortunate" and "a reflection of the bias that we still have in our communities", stating that "I think we need to really think about how this is how he felt so comfortable [saying the slur] in the first place."[18]GLAAD released a statement calling the apology "incredibly weak and not enough".[4]
On September 25, 2020, after Brennaman announced his resignation, Reds CEOBob Castellini issued a statement calling the announcer a "fantastic talent and a good man who remains part of the Reds family forever".[12] Castellanos acknowledged the incident in a February 2023 Instagram post, which showed him practicing his swing in preparation forspring training and bore the caption "And there's a deep drive... Phillies '23".[19]
In a podcast that aired in November 2021, Brennaman expressed disappointment in the popular response to his apology, stating: "But for people to criticize a sincere apology... That's when you know that there is a lot wrong with a lot of people. Not just me – and I've got a lot wrong with me. There is a lot wrong in this world."[20]
After the incident, Brennaman began working withLGBT outreach groups such as the Children's Home of Northern Kentucky andPFLAG. Local leaders of the LGBT community in Cincinnati cited his subsequent work as a reason to support his return to broadcasting.[21]
On July 21, 2024, Brennaman announced that he would return to broadcasting as the lead commentator forCW Football Saturday.[22] On that same day, Castellanos hit a home run, leading to the commentator of the game repeating Brennaman's famous phrase.[23] Ahead of the football game betweenBoston College andSyracuse in November, Brennaman alluded to the incident while discussing both teams' quarterbacks, placing emphasis on the surname of the unrelated Boston College playerThomas Castellanos and smirking at the camera as he called, "Couple of good quarterbacks in this one. You know aboutKyle McCord, we'll also see Thomas Castellanos! How about that?" Awful Announcing quipped that "it's likely that Nick Castellanos would've hit a home run the same day" had the game taken place during the MLB season.[24][25]
I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of America first. And there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos.
The use of the apology as acopypasta did not gain traction until after Bob Castellini's September 25 statement praising Brennaman.[12] In March 2021,College of Charleston professorRyan M. Milner attributed the proliferation of the copypasta to the virality of the original apology and thenon sequitur nature of the home run call; according to Milner, the copypasta allows people to jokingly convey cynicism towards insincere statements.[12]
On several occasions, Castellanos has had on-field success during broadcasts which were, by coincidence or possibly on purpose by broadcasting crews, discussing negative real-life happenings during his at-bats. In other cases, his baseball feats occurred on the same day as but not coinciding with major news events.[27][28][29]
July 5, 2021: Against Kansas City, Castellanos hit a home run while Royals color commentatorRyan Lefebvre was eulogizing George Gorman, a veteran ofWorld War II whose son Pat Gorman had been working for the Royals for 26 years at the time.[31]
September 11, 2021: On the twentieth anniversary of theSeptember 11 attacks, Castellanos hit a home run to left field in the third inning of a 6–4 loss to theSt. Louis Cardinals; this home run had extended the Reds' lead to 4–0.[32]
March 27, 2022: During a spring training game against theToronto Blue Jays, Blue Jays color commentatorBuck Martinez spoke extensively on pitching coachPete Walker's DUI during a Castellanos at bat in which he ultimately hit a single.[33]
May 30, 2022: During aMemorial Day tribute by Phillies play-by-play announcerTom McCarthy honoring American veterans and American servicemen who lost their lives, Castellanos hit a solo home run to left field in the second inning of a 5–4 loss to theSan Francisco Giants; this home run had given the Phillies a 1–0 lead.[34]
June 18, 2024: Roughly a half hour after the announcement of the death ofWillie Mays, the Phillies defeated theSan Diego Padres after Castellanos recorded a walk-off double to right field, his fourth hit of the game.[36]
March 18, 2025: On the same day Eagles defensive playerBrandon Graham announced his retirement from the NFL after 15 seasons with Philadelphia, Castellanos hit a home run into deep left field in a spring training game on his first plate appearance against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Castellanos also hit an RBI single to extend the Phillies lead in the 6th inning in the same game, which resulted in a 3–2 loss for the Phillies.[39]
Both Nick Castellanos and his wife Jessica have expressed awareness of the jokes. In 2021, Jessica Castellanos posted on Twitter that she wanted the jokes to stop.[41] In 2023, Nick posted the phrase "and there's a deep drive" on his Instagram account.[42]
After the death ofPope Francis on April 21, 2025, many expected Castellanos to hit a home run in an upcoming game against theNew York Mets, to the pointFanDuel even had to temporarily lock betting for him, and saw three times as many bets on Castellanos compared to other players on BetMGM, and saw odds lowered from as high as +630 to as low as +425.[43][44][45][46] However, he would fail to hit a home run that day, or even hit safely, in a 5–4 loss to the Mets.[47]
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