Philadelphia Phillies fans had very little fun during their series opener against the Washington Nationals, but John Kruk made it a little easier to digest on Monday. The Phillies color commentator acknowledged the hilarious moment from the umpire after an ABS challenge and gifted us another one of his great all-time comments in the booth.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was at the plate when he challenged a strike call by home plate umpire Nick Mahrley. The call was overturned to a ball, but Mahrley's explanation was less than audible over the microphone throughout the stadium.
John Kruk knew exactly where Phillies' umpire was coming from
Phillies play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy couldn't even make out what Mahrley was trying to say after the overturned call. Kruk was even disappointed in himself for being unable to translate, but for a very different reason.
“And you’d think as many times as I've been inebriated and had friends that were inebriated, I'd be able to translate that for you, Tom, but that was sober. That was all sober," Kruk dropped.
"And you'd think as many times as I've been inebriated... I'd be able to translate that for you" pic.twitter.com/LShpGeFJZQ
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 31, 2026
An educated guess would be that the umpire was trying to say, “Call is a ball, call is overturned,” given how the umpires have executed overturned calls so far. But we can't be sure. It still made for some pretty funny responses live on national television.
The automated ball-strike challenge system has taken over the baseball world since its inception just a week ago. It's opened the eyes of baseball fans, along with the players who have capitalized on the abundance of missed calls. The ABS challenge system is the new shiny toy of MLB and also another reason to be entertained while sitting at home. It's also another way Kruk can inspire some joy in an otherwise dreadful night at Citizens Bank Park after a 13-2 loss. It could easily be the best thing that happened all night for Philadelphia.
Kruk has been the essence of comedic relief in the Phillies broadcast booth since he joined back in 2017. He's also planning to stick around a while longer. He always likes to ride that fine line of good humor while also avoiding saying anything too outrageous. The ABS challenge system is just the latest tool Kruk can use to entertain the fan base throughout the 2026 regular season.