“You can’t predict baseball” (baseball adage)
Baseball, as many have said, is an unpredictable game. “You can’t predict what can happen in baseball” was cited in 1970. “Baseball is a game you can’t predict” was cited in 1987.
John Sterling became the New York Yankees’ play-by-play announcer in 1989. Suzyn Waldman became the Yankees’ color commentator in 2005. “You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn” became Sterling’s catchphrase when something unusual happened in a game. “John Sterling is right. You can’t predict baseball” was cited on Twitter on June 14, 2009.
Wikipedia: John Sterling (sportscaster)
John Sterling (born John Sloss; July 4, 1938) is an American sportscaster best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees. He has announced every Yankees game since 1989.
Wikipedia: Suzyn Waldman
Suzyn Waldman (born September 7, 1946) is a sportscaster and former musical theater actress. Starting with the 2005 season, she has been the color commentator for New York Yankees baseball, working with John Sterling on radio broadcasts, first for WCBS-AM and currently for WFAN in New York City. She graduated from Simmons College with a degree in Economics.
AllAcronyms
What does YCPB stand for?
1YCPB stands for You Can’t Predict Baseball
26 June 1970, The Morning Star (Rockford, IL), “Three errors help New Yorkers sweep five-game series” (UPI), pg. B1, col. 7:
“You can’t predict what can happen in baseball.”
(Jim Foy.—ed.)
15 April 1981, The Advocate (Stamford, CT), “National League Roundup” (AP), pg. 38, col. 1:
“I guess this is why baseball is a good game. You can’t predict it.”
(Houston Astros Manager Bill Virdon.—ed.)
1 September 1987, The Oregonian (Portland, OR), “American League,” pg. D6, col. 3:
“Baseball is a game you can’t predict.”
(Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson.—ed.)
Google News Archive
10 July 1990, Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette, “White Rat knew when to leave sinking ship” by Thomas Boswell, pg. 26, col. 4:
Whitey (Herzog—ed.) knows you can’t predict baseball.
Twitter
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHoch
John Sterling is right. You can’t predict baseball.
2:28 PM - 14 Jun 2009
Albany (NY) Times Union
Yankees vs. Mets: Who has the better announcers?
Posted on July 18, 2009 | By Pete Dougherty, Staff writer
(...)
COMMENTS
BillT says:
July 19, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I can only comment on Sterling/Waldman since I’ve been an avid Yankee radio listener for about 5 years. With each passing year I grow more and more tired of this pair of announcers. In particular their habit of predicting doom and gloom as soon as a starting Yankee pitcher shows any sign of weakness. Sterling is so fond of saying “you can’t predict baseball…anyone who says they can is nuts” but in effect that’s exactly what he does every game in the event a Yankee relief pitcher gets behind a batter or god forbid walks someone…at that point Sterling predicts certain disaster…with one exception. He and Susan treat Mariano with kid gloves and beyond reproach. I guess he deserves that.
The Yankee U
You Can’t Predict Baseball
Posted by Rebecca Glass at 1:00 pm May 28, 2010
May 282010
“Well Suzyn, you know, you just can’t predict baseball”
As Yankee fans, how many times have we heard John Sterling utter those words?
My Pinstripes
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2011
You Can’t Predict Baseball Suzyn
John Sterling is right again! Earlier this week Curtis Granderson got picked off to end a loss to the Angels with Mark Teixeira at the plate. The next night Granderson homered in the first inning and again later in the game in a Yankees win.
Twitter
Leslie M.
@TheMongoMan
Now I know why John Sterling tells Suzyn Waldman about how you can’t predict baseball. This week showed why. D-Backs almost pulled it off.
10:24 PM - 7 Oct 2011
ESPN—New York Yankees blog
Suzyn, you can’t predict baseball
4/10/2013
Andrew Marchand, ESPNNewYork.com
You really can’t. One of the all-time John Sterling-isms could not be more apt than it is after a little more than a week of baseball here in 2013.
Twitter
Sal Maiorana
@salmaiorana
140 characters got me there. RT @MikeCatalana: @salmaiorana Get the quote right Sal. it is “You can’t predict baseball,Susan”
8:26 PM - 5 Oct 2014
Twitter
Josh Handszer
@joshhandszer
Here’s my predictions for the ‘15 #MLB Season! As John Sterling once said: “You can’t predict baseball!” Thoughts?
11:00 AM - 6 Apr 2015
Twitter
Rob Ciambra
@RobTheFreshman
I look forward to saying “You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn” many times this season.
4:11 PM - 6 Apr 2015