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Stephen A. Smith has made the baseball community mad more times than he’d like to admit. In 2021, Smith faced massive backlash after claiming Shohei Ohtani couldn’t be the face of Major League Baseball because he used an interpreter. ESPN colleagues and the Asian American community alike didn’t take it well. Eventually, the outspoken NBA commentator had to admit he had “screwed up,” calling his remarks “insensitive and regrettable.” Now, once again, he may be regretting his choice of words after his comments from 2023. Back in September 2023, on a call with Fuzzy, Smith yelled at him, saying, “Do me a favor. Tell the baseball community to shut the hell up. Baseball is the sport that happens because I’m so busy with other sports. I don’t get to watch as much baseball. But the reason why we don’t watch as much baseball, fuzzy if you did your homework, is because people don’t care ratings-wise when we’re watching baseball.” Smith already faced significant criticism at the time, and now it’s growing even larger. Fuzzy brought back his 2023 post, this time with a fresh caption. “Hey @stephenasmith, Remember when you told me to tell the baseball community to shut the hell up, and now baseball is spanking the NBA in viewership? Care to comment? 😂” It’s unlikely that Smith will have anything to say on this. However, it should be noted that the 2025 World Series Game 7 alone drew 25.9 million viewers. Whereas the 2025 NBA Finals game 7 drew only 16.4 million viewers. Speaking of the Dodgers-Blue Jays game 7, Smith probably watched the dramatic finish and was quick to post his reaction on X. “Great game in the World Series—Dodgers win 3-1. Barber for the @BlueJays picked off at 2nd after a line drive to left. Here’s my thing: How in the hell do you get picked off on a line drive? Message: Little League teaches you… A runner on 2nd Base FREEZES on line drives. Baseball 101. But a great pick-off by KiKe Hernandez!” Stephen A. Smith still faces backlash from baseball fans who see his past remarks, including his 2023 “shut the hell up” comment about Shohei Ohtani, as dismissive of the sport. Known mainly as an NBA analyst, his limited baseball knowledge and repeated controversies have hurt his credibility among baseball followers, even as his outspoken style keeps him in the public eye. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports That perception only grew stronger after a recent blunder during the 2025 World Series, when Smith referred to Blue Jays player Addison Barger as “Barber.” The small mistake instantly went viral, with fans questioning how someone who couldn’t even get a player’s name right could try to lecture anyone on baseball. Stephen A. Smith took a blunt take at the Brewers’ chances some time ago Let’s just say, he took aim at the whole state of Wisconsin. In a quick two-minute, 23-second segment, the ESPN star managed to write off the Brewers, the Bucks, and the Packers. And while he didn’t call Milwaukee a “terrible city” like he did four years back, he still couldn’t resist slipping in some shade. On his very own Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube, the outspoken host shared his take on the Brewers’ National League Championship Series matchup against the Dodgers. And, as usual, he didn’t hold back. “If you’re a Los Angeles Dodger, you’re on your way back to the World Series,” Smith said. “If you’re a Milwaukee Brewer, chances are you should be prepared to get swept. It’s that simple.” Apparently, Smith’s take couldn’t have been more different from that of Austin Murphy. One of Brewers manager Pat Murphy’s sons, who still believed the team had a fighting chance. But looking back at how things unfolded in Milwaukee on October 13 and 14, it’s hard to fault Smith’s prediction. The Brewers’ bats went ice-cold, managing just two runs and five hits over the first two games to fall behind 0–2 in the best-of-seven series. On the other hand, the Dodgers’ pitching was simply dominant. Their starters combined to cover 17 of 18 innings, striking out 17 and giving up only one run. Blake Snell set the tone with a masterclass performance in Game 1. And Yoshinobu Yamamoto followed it up with a complete-game gem that left the Brewers searching for answers. Still, Smith’s choice of words could’ve been different.
