It was supposed to be Roch Cholowsky's moment, a lifetime achievement for the UCLA shortstop picked No. 1 overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2026 MLB Draft. Instead, Commissioner Rob Manfred somehow made the day about himself, completely butchering the kid's last name right there on stage in Philadelphia. You just can't make this stuff up, can you?
The Biggest Pick of the Draft, The Biggest Flub
Cholowsky has been on draft analysts' radar as a top contender for the No. 1 pick for ages, so it was no shock when the Chicago White Sox officially called his name on Saturday. And hey, good for the White Sox! They are having a surprising season, fighting it out in AL Central contention, and adding a talent like Cholowsky is a huge move for their future. With no players attending the draft in-person this year, it was all on Manfred to deliver the big news. He walked up to the microphone, ready to make it official: "With the first pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Chicago White Sox select Roch Cholowsky, a shortstop from UCLA." Sounded fine, right? Except for one massive detail."Chuh-LEW-skee"?! Come On, Man!
According to the UCLA baseball media guide and pretty much everyone who has ever followed the kid, Cholowsky's last name is pronounced "chill-OW-skee." But what came out of Manfred's mouth? "Chuh-LEW-skee." Seriously? This kid has been on the MLB radar for at least a year, and the league's top guy can't get his name right for the biggest announcement of his life? Of course, the commissioner took some serious online heat for being so unprepared for such a high-stakes moment. Meanwhile, from home, Cholowsky was soaking it all in, bursting into tears of pure joy surrounded by family and friends. That's the real story, the raw emotion of a dream coming true. It's a shame that pure moment was somewhat overshadowed by a totally avoidable blunder. Roch Cholowsky is officially a Chicago White Sox, adding a talented infielder to their ranks. Here's hoping his incredible journey from UCLA to the No. 1 pick is what people remember, not the commissioner's embarrassing fumble. The league owes it to these rising stars to get it right. Let's see Cholowsky bring the heat on the field soon enough!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.