Gunnar Henderson shows off Scooby-Doo bat, impression at Home Run Derby

ARLINGTON — Gunnar Henderson walked onto ESPN’s on-field set on the T-Cellular Residence Run Derby on Monday night time at Globe Life Discipline, grabbed the microphone and delivered precisely what was requested of him. The 23-year-old Orioles shortstop snuck a couple of peeks straight into the arduous digicam within the course of.

“Ruh-roh, Raggy!” Henderson mentioned whereas utilizing his spot-on Scooby-Doo impersonation, including his model of the cartoon Nice Dane’s trademark snicker.

An impression that went viral on social media earlier this yr did so once more after being delivered to a nationwide TV viewers.

Though Henderson hit solely 11 homers in his Derby debut — leading to a first-round exit — he had loads of enjoyable. He additionally used a customized Scooby-Doo bat painted the blue, inexperienced and orange colours of the Thriller Machine and that includes the phrases “ZOINKS!” and “RUH-ROH!” That led to ESPN’s Eduardo Pérez asking Henderson to interrupt out the voice shortly earlier than the occasion started.

The lumber was made by Chandler Bats, a sporting items producer primarily based in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and it’s nonetheless cool, even when it didn’t produce fairly sufficient house runs.

“I want it had just a little extra Scooby Snacks in it,” mentioned Triple-A Norfolk supervisor Buck Britton, Henderson’s former Minor League skipper who served as his Derby pitcher.

Henderson’s impressionist abilities went viral earlier this season in an episode of “The Chill,” an Orioles-produced present wherein a number of gamers sit down and focus on absolutely anything and all the things. Not solely did he impersonate Scooby-Doo, however he additionally revealed that he can do an unimaginable impression of much-maligned Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks.

What made Henderson wish to use a Scooby-Doo bat in his first Residence Run Derby?

“Effectively, I’m positive you’ve all heard the impression by now,” Henderson mentioned. “After which, once I was youthful, that was my favourite present rising up.”

It doesn’t matter what kind of lumber Henderson makes use of on the plate, he has among the finest bat velocity in MLB. Nevertheless, that didn’t translate to Derby outcomes on Monday.

Henderson began sluggish, utilizing his timeout after hitting 4 house runs over his first 16 pitches. Then, he added seven extra throughout regulation time, however he was unable to go deep in the course of the three-out bonus spherical.

“It was positively a tiring expertise. After that timeout, my legs have been shot,” Henderson mentioned. “I used to be glad to make it by it and at the very least hit double digits.”

The Phillies’ Alec Bohm (21), the Guardians’ José Ramírez (21), the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. (20) and the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández (19) superior to the second spherical. Hernández was the eventual champion, outslugging Witt 14-13 within the finals.

Henderson had the benefit of going final within the opening spherical — a reward for his 28 homers this season, essentially the most of any Derby participant and third most in MLB — however the deficit was an excessive amount of to beat.

“Loopy atmosphere. He’s by no means executed something like this, I’ve by no means executed something like this,” Britton mentioned. “He doesn’t fairly have that massive swing like the opposite guys have to essentially hit the ball excessive within the air. It’s actually quite a lot of low, arduous contact, low angles. However man, we had a hell of a time.”

It can nonetheless be a memorable night time for Henderson, who can also be a first-time All-Star and will probably be beginning at shortstop for the American League in Tuesday night time’s Midsummer Traditional. He’ll be joined by Baltimore teammates Corbin Burnes, Adley Rutschman, Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg.

Rutschman, Santander and Westburg have been on the sector for the Residence Run Derby to cheer on Henderson, with Westburg holding up an orange rally towel that learn “Gunnar” when Henderson was launched previous to the beginning of the occasion. Burnes (the AL’s beginning pitcher) hadn’t but arrived in Arlington as a result of he was spending time at house together with his new child twin daughters.

For a participant like Henderson — a fun-loving teenager who’s a Star Wars nerd, competes in season-long Lego-building competitions with teammate Colton Cowser and has no bother retaining issues mild over the grind of the lengthy baseball calendar — it was applicable that his displaying on the Derby was tied to a cartoon canine.

Henderson wasn’t even stunned that he acquired a possibility to do his Scooby impression on-air.

“I felt like if I saved mentioning it, I used to be in all probability going to sooner or later,” Henderson mentioned with a smile. “It was fairly humorous.”