New York Yankees broadcasters Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill on Tuesday got an up-close look at the reason for Cal Raleigh’s “Big Dumper” nickname, a wild moniker referring to his buttocks that the MLB All-Star initially hated but has since embraced.
In the sixth inning of a game between New York and Raleigh’s Seattle Mariners, Kay mentioned the nickname is due to Raleigh’s “pretty large posterior” before the Yankees broadcast turned to the catcher standing at first base.
The cameraman then proceeded to zoom in toward Raleigh’s behind.
“We’re getting a close-up!” said O’Neill, a five-time World Series champion who played much of his career with the Yankees, as he chuckled at the shot.
“I don’t know if we need that, guys. Goodness!” exclaimed Kay before the camera continued to pan in and out in the seconds that followed.
“We don’t miss a thing here, Michael,” O’Neill added.
Raleigh, a catcher with the Mariners since 2021, has acknowledged that people find the nickname hilarious since it was made famous by his former teammate Jarred Kelenic.
Now, the Seattle team store sells jerseys with the name “Big Dumper” on the back.
“I love it. I think it’s great,” Raleigh said of his nickname in an interview with The Athletic in 2023.
“My mom had other opinions about it. But it’s good. It gets the fans involved and they have fun with it. And that is what it’s all about. It’s a good time.”
The broadcast moment arrived in a game where Raleigh — who currently leads the league in home runs this season with 36 — made Mariners history, passing Ken Griffey Jr. with the most homers for the team before the All-Star break.
Raleigh — who is on pace to break a record set by Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez for most homers by a catcher in a single season (48) — is set to participate in the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday in Atlanta.
