Joe Davis as a national PBP announcer

[m0nkey]

Just finished watching the game 6 highlights since I couldn't see it live, what did everyone think of Joe Davis' first posteseason as the lead voice of baseball on the national level?  I thought he was great and nailed every big call.

 

I'm sure most of us are familiar with him whenever the occasional Dodger game finds its way on to the TV, but I think he's going to be great for FOX the next 20+ years, or however long he wants to do it.

[Lou]

He was very good. 

Smoltz is tiresome. 

[Justin]

I really like Joe Davis but pairing him with Smoltz, as with Orel Hershiser on Dodgers broadcasts, is a mistake. They are boring - or tiresome - and not good complements for Joe. 

However, while I like him doing baseball, he is one of the best I have ever heard at college football. 

[greginpsca]

Hopefully, O'Neil & French are gone next season. Vasgersian also, unless he can do the job all year.

[Duren, Duren]

It's a breath of fresh air having neutral announcers just being objective both ways. Or at least trying to be, regardless of their other seasonal affiliations. 

Team broadcasters are employed by an organization and have narratives to sell. Not to mention all the plugs for promotions and products. It's the nature of the job and always has been that way for individual  teams. So they are compromised regardless of how good, entertaining or insightful they may be.  But given those limitations I think there is a wide range of talent and professionalism. And note the change in demeanor when the same broadcasters do their local team games and when they are national with other teams. 

A few observations. From listening to old radio tapes, videos and personal experience.  I'll just stick to voices of the past.

The most entertaining were Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean. Ned Martin and Mel Parnell with the Red Sox were droll and low key, other than the last week of the  impossible dream season. Hawk Harrelson was the most annoying. Jack Buck was good, but too much a homer. Same with Ernie Harwell.  Vin Scully was great, but some of his anecdotes and puns were awful.  Bob Prince was even more folksy and laconic.  I actually enjoyed the Tony Kubek, Joe Garagiola team. Dick Enberg was a solid pro. I enjoyed the Dave Van Horn, Duke Snider combo. Ken Singleton was ok when he started after replacing Snider. 

Davis doing Angel games won't be the same as doing the world series. He's good with the Dodgers, but Hershieser brings the broadcast down. If he was with Gubi it would likely be a similar dynamic with a pitcher's insights. But maybe more focused. 

[ukyah]

31 minutes ago, greginpsca said:

Hopefully, O'Neil & French are gone next season. Vasgersian also, unless he can do the job all year.

i don't like any of the current angel broadcasters. ANY of them. i liked rojas. i've never understood vasgersian's success i think he's borderline awful. his whole "santa maria!", etc. schtick is about the lamest sports calls i've ever heard. so, so bad.

[Blarg]

Anyone paired with Gubiza the last 5 years has been unlistenable because Gubiza. Not giving any credit to O'Neil, he never should have been in the booth. But Gubiza can't shut his trap and let even the slightest moment go by without talking. 

[Taylor]

In before the Angels announce they've hired him, but he'll only be calling 12 games next season.

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

In before the Angels announce they've hired him, but he'll only be calling 12 games next season.

That's still roughly twice the amount Vasgersian called this year.

[m0nkey]

Edited the topic title, in case it wasn't clear even though it's specifically stated in the original post, I was talking about Davis being the new voice of the MLB playoffs on FOX, not suggesting the Angels should hire him.

[ScottT]

I like Joe Davis 

I love that someone else got a chance.

I don't mind Joe Buck, but nobody should announce the World Series for 20 years.  There are some great announcers out there.

[Tank]

i enjoyed joe davis and thought he did a solid job. easy to listen to.

after enduring patty o'neal all year, davis (nearly) sounded like red barber.

[Dtwncbad]

12 hours ago, Blarg said:

Anyone paired with Gubiza the last 5 years has been unlistenable because Gubiza. Not giving any credit to O'Neil, he never should have been in the booth. But Gubiza can't shut his trap and let even the slightest moment go by without talking. 

Gubiza seems like a good guy, but what exactly of value does he add to a broadcast?  Nothing.

He has like four standard observations that he repeats every game as if it were the first time he said them.  He is not a good story teller.  He isn’t particularly insightful or deep.  And he fails to know what to say when something big happens other than just basically yelling the player’s name.  “Shohei Ohtani!!!”

Yeah, we know who the player is Mark.

Thanks for contributing.

Anyway, seems like Guniza is either deliberately being surface-level boring playing it safe or maybe just incapable of being better than that.

Doesn’t really matter which it is, the result is he is pretty much useless.

I don’t hate the guy, I just think he brings nothing to the table.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

14 hours ago, Duren, Duren said:

The most entertaining were Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean.

This was the duo that I grew up with. It was a treat to hear them on Saturdays, when it was the only game that you saw all week. It worked well until CBS bought the Yankees, then we got the Yankee game of the week. Translation: Games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and only when the Yankees were at home.

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Dtwncbad said:

Gubiza seems like a good guy, but what exactly of value does he add to a broadcast?  Nothing.

He has like four standard observations that he repeats every game as if it were the first time he said them.  He is not a good story teller.  He isn’t particularly insightful or deep.  And he fails to know what to say when something big happens other than just basically yelling the player’s name.  “Shohei Ohtani!!!”

Yeah, we know who the player is Mark.

Thanks for contributing.

Anyway, seems like Guniza is either deliberately being surface-level boring playing it safe or maybe just incapable of being better than that.

Doesn’t really matter which it is, the result is he is pretty much useless.

I don’t hate the guy, I just think he brings nothing to the table.

gubi stopped saying anything interesting a while ago. i wish he was paired with someone who could bring out the best in him, and that he could bring out the best in them.

i hate listening to him pronounce player names. he sounds like he has a mouth full of cold sores and it's painful for him to talk.

[Taylor]

Gubi is fine. There aren't many color commentators who aren't annoying. Although his best matchup was with Rory Markas (RIP).

[Lazorko Saves]

Clearly the best combo out there right now is Brian Anderson + Ron Darling on the TBS playoff games.  Liked Darling for a long time, but I am beginning to appreciate Anderson's PBP.

I think Fox needs to add a hitter to the booth with Davis and Smoltz.  Cut the "the next pitch should be a..." stuff from Smoltz by 50% and it might be more listenable.

Smoltz trying too hard to be baseball's Tony Romo.  It's grating.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Lazorko Saves

[Lou]

17 minutes ago, Lazorko Saves said:

Cut the "the next pitch should be a..." stuff from Smoltz

So annoying

[m0nkey]

3 hours ago, Lazorko Saves said:

Clearly the best combo out there right now is Brian Anderson + Ron Darling on the TBS playoff games.  Liked Darling for a long time, but I am beginning to appreciate Anderson's PBP.

I think Fox needs to add a hitter to the booth with Davis and Smoltz.  Cut the "the next pitch should be a..." stuff from Smoltz by 50% and it might be more listenable.

Smoltz trying too hard to be baseball's Tony Romo.  It's grating.

Yeah that's a good one, Brian Anderson is a good national voice too.