"Might fix a generational family-error and call the optometrist" - A’s broadcaster owns up after viral miscall on Lawrence Butler’s homer

On July 26, Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler helped his team register a 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros. Butler, 25, scored a home run off a pitch from Hector Neris, but while Butler's hit was phenomenal, an A's broadcaster made a big error in calling it.

After Butler hit the homer, Chris Caray said:

"High in the air, deep to right... That ball is foul, or gone."

Caray's error quickly went viral on social media after Awful Announcing uploaded a video of the mistake on X. Caray, quote-tweeted this same post and issued an apology:

"Totally lost it in the lights. No excuses. Unfair to Butler and our fans that I messed it up as badly as I did. This is completely and totally on me! Wish I could have it back but that’s baseball. I apologize and will be better tomorrow."

Caray even joked that he would be fixing a generational family error by calling the optometrist:

"I might just fix a generational family-error and call the optometrist tonight! lol."

Chris Caray has been a play-by-play announcer for the Athletics since the 2024 season and has been in a play-by-play rotation with fellow announcer Jenny Cavnar.

---

A's outfielder Lawrence Butler failed to achieve a major goal this season

Lawrence Butler has been in the MLB since 2023. Before the 2025 season, the 25-year-old outfielder set the target of making the 2025 All-Star game in Atlanta "no matter what."

On X, the official handle of the MLB shared a video of Butler in which he said:

"All-Star Game ATL 2025. No matter what. Exclamation mark. Demon mad face," Butler read from his phone. "For manifestation," he said while displaying an image of a replica from the Athletics' last World Series triumph in 1989. "I'm going to get my own. So if I ever feel like I don't want to do something, I look at that and be like, "You've got to go, so go do it."

Lawrence Butler didn't make the All-Star game after a so-so season thus far. From 399 at-bats, Butler has a .238 average, with 59 runs, 44 RBIs and 15 home runs. He will look to improve as the A's struggle on in another rough campaign; they stand fifth in the AL West with a 45-62 record.

Edited by John Maxwell