Riley Greene’s hot start in the Tigers’ City Connect uniforms brought an unexpected detour into 17th-century Europe on Monday, when Detroit play-by-play man Jason Benetti tried to connect the outfielder’s 1.663 OPS with the opening year of the Austro-Turkish War.
The moment came in the bottom of the first inning against the Nationals at Fifth Third Park. Benetti pointed out that Greene’s OPS in the City Connect jerseys matched the 1663 start date of the conflict, then delivered the obvious baseball conclusion: a player is in a pretty good spot when his OPS resembles a year from the history books.
The Crew Had an Answer Ready
The line drew a quick visual response from the television production crew. The broadcast cut to the SeatGeek advertising sign beyond the field and tightened the shot until the screen showed only one word: “Geek.”
Benetti did not duck the joke. He thanked Andrew, a member of the crew, while laughing through the aftermath and acknowledging what the camera shot was meant to say.
It was a small, loose moment from a Monday telecast: Greene at the plate, a strong number on the board, and a booth joke that the production truck turned into its own punch line.
