ARLINGTON — Gunnar Henderson walked onto ESPN’s on-field set at the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday night at Globe Life Field, grabbed the microphone and delivered exactly what was asked of him. The 23-year-old Orioles shortstop snuck a few peeks directly into the hard camera in the process.
“Ruh-roh, Raggy!” Henderson said while using his spot-on Scooby-Doo impersonation, adding his version of the cartoon Great Dane’s trademark laugh.
An impression that went viral on social media earlier this year did so again after being delivered to a national TV audience.
Although Henderson hit only 11 homers in his Derby debut — resulting in a first-round exit — he had plenty of fun. He also used a custom Scooby-Doo bat painted the blue, green and orange colors of the Mystery Machine and featuring the phrases “ZOINKS!” and “RUH-ROH!” That led to ESPN’s Eduardo Pérez asking Henderson to break out the voice shortly before the event began.
The lumber was made by Chandler Bats, a sporting goods manufacturer based in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and it is still cool, even if it didn’t produce quite enough home runs.
“I wish it had a little more Scooby Snacks in it,” said Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton, Henderson’s former Minor League skipper who served as his Derby pitcher.
Henderson’s impressionist skills went viral earlier this season in an episode of “The Chill,” an Orioles-produced show in which several players sit down and discuss just about anything and everything. Not only did he impersonate Scooby-Doo, but he also revealed that he can do an incredible impression of much-maligned Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks.