The Philadelphia Phillies dropped the opening game of their current series against the New York Mets, falling 5-4 in a dramatic contest. Trailing 5-0 heading into the ninth inning, the Phillies mounted a desperate rally, highlighted by a three-run home run from Bryson Stott off Mets closer Edwin Díaz. While the comeback sparked excitement, many neutral fans were hoping another Phillies player would be responsible for the fireworks: Nick Castellanos.
Castellanos has gained a curious reputation for hitting home runs following major global tragedies. Early yesterday morning, news broke of Pope Francis’ death, and it didn’t take long for savvy bettors to spot a potential opportunity. Before the announcement, odds of a Castellanos home run hovered around +625 to +630. After the news surfaced, those odds quickly dropped, and he became the most heavily bet player to homer on April 21st. At one point, sportsbooks even froze betting on him due to the surge in interest. Ultimately, Castellanos didn’t get a hit, much to the relief of betting companies.
Castellanos struck out in his first two trips to the plate—once looking, once swinging—then fouled out in the sixth and flied out to center in the eighth. The 33-year-old right fielder has coincidentally delivered hits and home runs in the wake of numerous unfortunate events, a pattern that dates back to 2011 when he went deep shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden.
The trend gained internet fame in 2020 when he homered during broadcaster Thom Brennaman’s on-air apology for using a homophobic slur, cementing the now-iconic phrase: “A deep drive to left field by Castellanos.” Since then, he’s recorded hits on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the day after Philadelphia’s I-95 bridge collapse in 2023, the day baseball legend Willie Mays passed away in 2024, and shortly before the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Castellanos’ uncanny timing has kept the meme alive. But following the passing of Pope Francis, the trend didn’t continue—at least this time.
