Horrible Athletics series at least gave Yankees fans a hilarious broadcast moment

Homerism will never die, and MLB broadcasters aren't expected to completely abandon their inherent bias when the "wrong" team does something great. In fact, a little bit of bias is exactly what makes a local broadcaster particularly palatable to their team's fanbase. That being said, there's a bare minimum standard that any broadcaster must reach when narrating the success of the opposition. And during Tuesday's New York Yankees-Athletics game, the Athletics' broadcast team fell short.

It's one of the few moments Yankees fans enjoyed from their horrible series loss to the A's, which featured just two runs in New York's final 17 innings.

The occasion for this critique was Amed Rosario's game-winning homer in the eighth inning of Tuesday's opener. It was the bench player's second dinger of the game and an incredible unlikely swing that demanded some shock and awe from any and all broadcasters on assignment at Yankee Stadium, including those affiliated with the Athletics.

Athletics broadcasters failed the assignment during Amed Rosario's unforgettable moment

YES Network's Michael Kay delivered the goods on the Rosario blast, but when you listen to Kay's call juxtaposed next to the shamefully weak call from the Athletics' broadcast booth, you'll have to rewind and listen again to be sure.

Again, no one was expecting the Athletics' broadcaster to erupt with joy as Rosario's homer sailed into the seats, but to not even capture the grandiosity of a big play is doing your listeners and the sport a disservice.

Kay is no stranger to passionately narrating homers from the opposition, nor is he afraid to rip into opposing fanbases when necessary — he realizes it's all part of the job. It's Kay's delicate balancing act between avoiding complete homerism and giving the other team too much love that makes him a trusted voice not only during the game, but when he's talking outside of the live broadcast about all things baseball.

Kay isn't alone in understanding the duality of broadcasting an MLB game. The vast majority of broadcasters around the league are in the position they are in because they've not only garnered the respect of the hometown fans, but also that of opposing teams' fans. It's the duty of a broadcaster to call the game in a way that's inclusive to fans of all affiliations. The hints of bias here and there will always be forgiven by opposing fans who understand how all of this works.

On the other hand, when you refuse to acknowledge the listening experience of all fans as a broadcaster, you're cheating the game — not dissimilarly from a healthy, young player jogging listlessly down the first base line on a grounder.

Rosario's big moment — one he'll seldom repeat (if ever) for the rest of his career — deserved excitement and respect from all onlookers, especially those tasked with setting the tone for a large audience of baseball lovers tuning into the action.