Whether you love him or hate him, Bill Walton was in the booth with Jason Benetti for Friday night’s White Sox vs. Angels game. For those who are not familiar with him, Walton is an NBA Hall of Famer and sports broadcaster known for his wild antics on air. Now that the game is over, relive the magic by scrolling through some of the broadcaster’s best moments below! Also, shoutout to Jason Benetti for his impressive performance from start to finish.
It’s the morning after one of the craziest broadcasts ever. Shoutout to the NBC Sports Chicago production crew, broadcasters, and everyone else involved who made this possible for putting on a show. Here’s a highlight compilation of last night’s top moments.
Ladies and gentlemen, the best of @BillWalton! pic.twitter.com/bO4pDravg1
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
AND THIS BALLGAME IS OVAH!
FINAL: White Sox 7, Angels 2pic.twitter.com/vProV5LPMi
— McCann On 35th (@SoxOn35th) August 17, 2019
Walton: “You’re still all dressed up in your gear, man. Nobody’s coming after you, James. You can take that stuff off.”
McCann: “It’ll be off shortly.”
Walton: “What does that black stuff on your eyes do for you?”
McCann: “You know, it helps the glare. I started when I was in little league and I’ve never changed so I wear it every game.”
Walton: That’s a strike, he’s outta there, and the game is over. The White Sox win! Print the banner! Line up the parade, Michigan Avenue… Let’s go, thank you Chicago for your patience.
Protect Bill Walton at all costs. What a game. What a night. pic.twitter.com/72WdspMRgF
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
Walton: “The White Sox are killing them. Where does this team rank in the pantheon of the greatest teams in the history of the sport? And by the way, thank you for your kindness, for your generosity, for your patience, and for my life.”
ANOTHER ONE! James McSlam strikes again and blows this game WIDE open.
— McCann On 35th (@SoxOn35th) August 17, 2019
Benetti: “You know what today’s the anniversary of? The first issue of “Sports Illustrated” ever, back in 1954.”
Walton: “How many times have you been on the cover?”
Benetti: “I’ve never been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, I’m sorry to say.”
Walton: “Really?”
Benetti: “You?”
Walton: “19 times.”
Benetti: “19? Is that right?”
Walton: “Are you deaf?”
For those wondering, Bill Walton has been on the cover of @SInow 14 timeshttps://t.co/dRa7wZNArQ
— Matt Martell (@mmartell728) August 17, 2019
Walton: “I’m full of hot air.”
Benetti: “You are full of joy. So many people on have said on Twitter that…”
Walton: “Aren’t you watching the game? There’s these flags flying against the full moon waiting for a night time iridescent rainbow to come up and arc itself over the stadium… WOAH, I think that pitcher is going after our player.”
Benetti: “That was a strike.”
Walton: “Oh… take me out to the ballgame…”
Benetti: “You’re one out away from the proper time to sing that.”
*Yolmer Sanchez strikes out*
Walton: Come on, man. You can’t get up there and strikeout! You gotta… offense please!
I felt that. I’m sure many fans felt that.
Walton: “And his name again?”
Benetti: “Eloy Jimenez.”
Walton: “Eloy. Is that a knock off of alloy? Like putting all the powers together of the rare earth minerals? And you just come up with this incredible, computer generated stud for the future.”
Benetti: “Basically, you just described that man right there in number 74.”
Walton: “Eloy?”
Benetti: “Eloy.”
Who needs replay reviews when you can have reenactments instead? pic.twitter.com/4MtxUS2jTX
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 17, 2019
Walton: “Is this still Lucas?”
Benetti: “It is.”
Walton: “What’s his last name?”
Benetti: “Giolito.”
*Bill Walton proceeds to sound out ‘Giolito’ in the bottom of the sixth inning*
Walton: “Were you there for Disco Demolition Night?”
Benetti: “I was not there.”
Walton: “Were you born?”
Benetti: “Uhhhh… no.”
Walton: “Trout is awesome. Put a hook in him and take him home to Chicago with the team. Please. When is he a free agent?”
Walton: “When Larry Hollyfield gets nine assists, you know it is a harmonic convergence of the highest order. Like tonight: Woodstock – 50 Years, 70’s night, full moon, waterfalls, exploding volcanoes, baseball – WHite Sox and the Angels, summertime – no rain on the horizon, Greg Gumbel, Sam Smith, David Axelrod, WOW.”
Walton: “I had the incredible good fortune of being a ‘Dead Head’ for 52 years. That has opened so many windows of opportunity and perception and reality.”
Walton: “Rainbow is my favorite color.”
Benetti: “You told me rainbow is your favorite flavor…”
Walton: “And color.”
*Mike Trout homers to dead centerfield*
Walton: “Oh my god. That’s Trout?”
Benetti: “That is.”
Walton: “Swimming upstream, avoiding all the flies, and sending one ricocheting through the universe. And look at this crowd, as ruckus as can be. One of the most successful franchises just packing them in here at the Big A. And there’s nothing we like more on 70’s night than the Big A. I’m having the time of my life.”
Walton: “GET IT BEFORE IT GOES OVER THE FENCE!”
*Ball is in Leury Garcia’s glove this whole time*
Walton: “Good. That’s called defense. “
Walton: “If you’re ever feeling down about life…”
Benetti: “Yeah?”
Walton: “Just put on John Fogerty. My friends were there last night at Radio City Music Hall, and the place was just rocking. He puts on such a fantastic show.”
Benetti: You know what my favorite Stones’ song is?
Walton: “Okay?”
Benetti: ” ‘Wild Horses.’ It reminds me of you.”
Walton: “Have you ever ridden a wild horse?”
Benetti: “Metaphorically.”
Walton: “That’s what this show is about.”
WE ARE DECEASED ?… Bill Walton just asked what the record was for most strikeouts in an inning
Stream here: https://t.co/Qu5piPACj2 pic.twitter.com/ldefg92dS6
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
Walton: “Can I get a hot dog?”
Benetti: “You want a hot dog?”
Walton: “I’m starving, man.”
Walton: “This guy on second, he’s going to go.”
Benetti: “You think Pujols is going to steal?”
Walton: “Oh, that’s Pujols? I don’t know.”
Benetti: “So you have Welington Castillo as Usain Bolt, just recapping, and Albert Pujols as a stolen base threat.”
*Suicide squeeze, Welington Castillo scores*
Walton: “Usain Bolt crosses the plate, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Just bursting through the tape.”
*Replay of Welington Castillo’s double.*
Walton: “GO!”
Benetti: “This is a replay.”
Walton: “Oh, I keep hearing that crack of the bat. Look at him run. I mean, that is the epitome of Usain Bolt right there.”
Benetti: “Welington Castillo reminds you of Usain Bolt?”
Walton: “Well, I mean the way he was flying down that base paths, man.”
Walton: “It’s only the third inning. How many of these do we have?”
Benetti: “Uh, we have nine. Thankfully.”
Walton: “You ever been to a Grateful dead show?”
Giolito’s brother: “No”
Walton: “Ok, well that’s a great place to learn a lot.”
Benetti: “You learn some movements there. You might forget them by the end of the night, though.”
Walton: “Never, you never forget. You just forget when it was.”
Benetti: “Oh, is that right?”
Walton: “Yes.”
Walton: “He had troubles last year? Like, with the law?”
*Bill to Lucas Giolito’s brother Casey on the pitcher’s 2018 struggles.*
*Tim Anderson scores on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.*
Walton: “…and White Sox extend this insurmountable lead.”
Life goals: Love something as much as Bill Walton loves baseball pic.twitter.com/SD3rMscJeW
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
Walton: “The US Navy…the second greatest marketing slogan ever. A global force for good.”
Benetti: “What’s the greatest marketing slogan ever?”
Walton: “The viagra commercial. If it lasts more than four hours, call your doctor.”
*Tim Anderson singles to right-center, Leury comes around to score to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.*
Walton: “GO! GO! GO! This is going to be a run. They’re not even going to throw the ball. That’s dictating the terms of the conflict. Here we go, Sox! Take me out to the ballgame. I don’t care if I ever get back. Gimme some peanuts, cracker jacks. How about hot dogs for everyone?”
GO. GO. GO. pic.twitter.com/jP7E75ant9
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 17, 2019
Walton: “Please, don’t stand too close to the edge.”
Benetti: “Before you go any further, that’s a piece of advice our fans watching should heed. Don’t get too close to the edge tonight.”
Walton: “That’s just a general warning in life.”
*Ryan Goins hits a shallow fly ball to left field.*
Walton: “Ohhhh! Go over the fence, PLEASE!
Bill Walton commentating on a routine pop out to left is a delight. ? pic.twitter.com/1hGygPDZHt
— Cut4 (@Cut4) August 17, 2019
Benetti: “You know colors aren’t real they’re just perceived.”
Walton: “Do you like colors? Do you have a favorite color?”
Benetti: “I like this (tie-dye shirt).”
White Sox pitcher Ryan Burr is enjoying the show.
This hits different? https://t.co/qPp4gsVQsF
— Ryan Burr (@RyanBurrASU) August 17, 2019
Walton on possibly being a catcher: “I’m much better at getting high than getting low.”
Benetti: “We have fans in Slovenia today.”
Walton: “That’s east of here, as well.”
Benetti: “Or west, depending on which way we go.”
Walton: “So you believe in circles? You believe in spheres.”
Benetti: “Yeah… I believe in spheres of influence.”
Walton: “Yes! White Sox dominant here. Send him back to the dugout! Buckeye, Arizona here I come. First bus here I come, or maybe walk.”
Is "Buckeye, Arizona here I come" the new "he gone"? pic.twitter.com/OXUqO6zWcG
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
Lucas Giolito gets Kole Calhoun with a bases loaded strikeout for out number two. Calhoun was born in Buckeye, AZ.
Bill Walton wants a triple play with one out in the bottom of the first. He’s also asking Jason if the out could be carried over to the next inning. The conversations are just all over the place and we’re not even through one inning.
What do you say, @MLB? pic.twitter.com/Fj3NSW5eK1
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 17, 2019
Walton: “Oh, he hit him in the head. You can’t do that. Please.”
Benetti: “He didn’t mean to.”
Walton: “How do you know? You’re sitting up here. Have you ever been hit in the head before?”
Benetti: “I feel like I have been.”
In case you’re wondering, the ball hit Mike Trout on the elbow.
You probably thought this was a one time occurence, didn’t you? Think again. We’ve got plenty of screaming after any type of contact, fair or foul.
This is the most lit broadcast ever. We're screaming after foul balls. pic.twitter.com/YOnZgHd2Jl
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
Walton: “Can you please bring Billy in here?”
Benetti: “Billy the translator? Billy Russo?”
Walton: “Yeah, I need a translator, man. I can’t figure out the difference between the numbers and the names and the teams.”
Walton: “It’s National Airborne Day. Please try to keep me anchored to the planet.”
Benetti: “It’s a timeless game.”
Walton: “I love timelessness. You’re timeless. I’ve been dead for quite a few years.”
Benetti: “And we all may be by the end of the night. The music playing means we are actually out of time.”
Bill: I’ve been dead for quite a few years@Jasonbenetti: And we all might be by the end of the night pic.twitter.com/TljlWYZ7DP
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
And just like that, the open is complete and we’re headed to the first commercial break.
Send your prayers to producer Kian Dowlatshahi and the crew in the NBC Sports Chicago production truck tonight.
Bill Walton is a National Treasure… but sometimes you have to play the outro music just to get him to stop speaking ? pic.twitter.com/w9AgfuHLsT
— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) August 17, 2019
The tie-dye shirts have made an appearance on the pre-game show. Things are off to a wild start.
We’re in for a doozy tonight… pic.twitter.com/ARLewR791Y
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) August 17, 2019
Groovy! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/SliFxuMnfG
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 17, 2019
Broadcaster Dave Pasch offers his well wishes on Twitter for Jason Benetti and the fans ahead of tonight’s game.
Spending the rest of the night in prayer for @jasonbenetti and the entire @whitesox fan base. pic.twitter.com/D7jYoFg3C9
— Dave Pasch (@DavePasch) August 16, 2019
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