The Chicago White Sox had the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft for the first time since 1977. They took UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky. And then Rob Manfred opened his mouth.
The commissioner stepped to the mic in Philadelphia on Saturday and proceeded to mangle the name of the franchise’s newest cornerstone prospect. Fans watching at home and in the crowd caught it immediately. So did social media. Within seconds, the reactions were merciless.
Manfred has never been a beloved figure among baseball fans. This didn’t help. The moment was supposed to be about the White Sox finally getting the top pick again and Cholowsky hearing his name called first. Instead, it turned into the commissioner fumbling a name that’s not exactly difficult to pronounce once you’ve heard it once.
Cholowsky, for what it’s worth, put up a .329/.447/.624 slash line with 52 homers over three seasons at UCLA. He’s the third college shortstop ever taken with the No. 1 overall pick. That’s legitimate company. The White Sox clearly see him as a cornerstone piece for a rebuild that’s been grinding for a while now.
The team posted the moment on X, formerly Twitter, with a video that showed Manfred making the announcement. The caption read: “THE PICK IS IN…” The video was supposed to be a celebration. It became a meme factory.
One user wrote: “Manfred couldn’t even get the one job right that literally just requires reading a name off a card.” Another posted: “I’ve heard Cholowsky’s name pronounced correctly on local UCLA broadcasts for three years. It’s not that hard, Rob.” A third just said: “Fire him into the sun.”
This isn’t the first time Manfred has made a draft-day name mistake, and it probably won’t be the last. But it’s a bad look when the spotlight is on a kid who just achieved a lifelong dream. The White Sox have not commented on the flub. The team is probably just glad the pick is in and they got their guy.
Cholowsky is expected to report to the organization’s Arizona complex in the coming days. The hope is he can move through the system quickly and help a big league club that has struggled to find consistency. But for now, the conversation isn’t about his sweet left-handed swing or his defensive range. It’s about a commissioner who couldn’t say his name right.
Manfred did not address the mistake after the draft. The league’s public relations team has not issued a statement. Maybe they figure it’ll blow over by Monday. Maybe they’re right. But the video is still looping on social media, and baseball fans have long memories.
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