Kirk Herbstreit often finds himself entangled in a situation online. Thursday proved no different, as the ESPN and Amazon football analyst got into it on Twitter with longtime Cincinnati Reds beat reporter C. Trent Rosecrans.
This seems to have started when Herbstreit voiced his thoughts on the situation the Reds are dealing with, surrounding prolific youngster Elly De La Cruz and former Rookie of the Year Jonathan India. With Cruz up now, it’s become a question of what India’s future is with the team. Herbstreit appeared on Foul Territory TV to explain the situation and how he believes India shouldn’t be moved, among other things. But it didn’t seem to do much to quell things.
Twitter Wars: ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit vs. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal & C. Trent Rosecrans https://t.co/gBcQa3hbik pic.twitter.com/ieH0laGjQM
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 1, 2023
"It just kind of infuriated me…"@KirkHerbstreit further explained his tweets to @Ken_Rosenthal and @ctrent about the Reds' De La Cruz situation.#FTLive ▶️ https://t.co/niYm4uRZhi pic.twitter.com/AVWHIHjbrc
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 1, 2023
Rosecrans got on Twitter then and went after Herbie. “Funny, @KirkHerbstreit says he ‘doesn’t know anything about Elly De La Cruz’ and says he likes Matt ‘McCain’ — but he knows how to do my job, which he seems to think is to promote the Reds and help them win,” Rosecrans said.
Funny, @KirkHerbstreit says he “doesn’t know anything about Elly De La Cruz” and says he likes Matt “McCain” — but he knows how to do my job, which he seems to think is to promote the Reds and help them win https://t.co/rA9oCCLDNj
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) June 1, 2023
Herbstreit did not take kindly to this at all and responded with a tweet of his own.
“Never told you how to do your job-I don’t even know who you are. I’m a fan who loves his team, you’re a troll looking for attention. Hustle back to creating clicks and causing trouble!” he tweeted.
Never told you how to do your job-i don’t even know who you are.
I’m a fan who loves his team you’re a troll looking for attention.
Hustle back to creating clicks and causing trouble! https://t.co/5GYeZKY3Lh— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) June 1, 2023
Resorting to name-calling — calling Rosecrans a “troll” – is a major minus (As is saying he doesn’t know Rosecrans? He’s one of the team’s most prominent reporters). Suffice it to say, Rosecrans had an answer for him.
“Well, see, @KirkHerbstreit didn’t even get past the byline of the story he claimed to read. Or apparently read about the Reds in the last 16 years or so,” Rosecrans said.
Well, see, @KirkHerbstreit didn’t even get past the byline of the story he claimed to read. Or apparently read about the Reds in the last 16 years or so https://t.co/7RsGBreKRE
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) June 1, 2023
Except you did https://t.co/7RsGBreKRE pic.twitter.com/komKrAotrl
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) June 1, 2023
The sports world was somewhat split on opinion, although many Reds fans weren’t thrilled about what Herbstreit said.
Listen I like Kirk but calling Trent a troll is maybe the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Kirk is a football guy who thinks he knows more than guys who know the ins and outs of a team they are around every day for months, its just an insane opinion. https://t.co/Ek0AlaHoXj
— Kyle Hall (@KHall25) June 1, 2023
Kirk is simply a Reds fan who does not know their long-time beat reporter whose story he criticized (on air! at length!) in the first place https://t.co/OdHogz17FU
— ric sanchez (@ricsanchez) June 1, 2023
Yes Kirk, the 10-year veteran #Reds beat writer is definitely a troll looking for attention 🤦🏻♂️ I have my own qualms with Rosenthal’s story, but to say you don’t know C. Trent or his work is telling on your fandom in a big way https://t.co/qb95hgfHUc
— Alex Laflin (@ajlaf3) June 1, 2023
Weak. https://t.co/aIhaJAUUrV
— Jeffrey Martin (@JayMart) June 1, 2023
Imagine claiming to be a big fan of a sports team and then not knowing one of the most distinguished beat writers covering said team, plus throwing a fit as if anything that reporter writes influences the team's decision making https://t.co/dPjIWfwSVV
— Frank Piscani 🤌 (@frankpiscani) June 1, 2023
This is ridiculous. “You’re a troll looking for attention” he says to the beat writer covering the team for years, who knows the team better than just about anyone https://t.co/ewlyPuAGaS
— Brandyn (@AwYeahMrB) June 1, 2023
Even Ken Rosenthal got into the mix, who claimed Kirk Herbstreit was “being ridiculous.”
I was nice to Kirk in my previous tweet. Now he is being ridiculous. https://t.co/62uS8TVsOh
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 1, 2023
