It is an undeniable and indisputable fact that there will never again be another sports broadcaster better than – or even as good as – beloved Hall of Fame Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully.
Not ever.
That being said and fully understood and accepted by everyone, it is hard to argue that current Dodgers SportsNet LA broadcaster Joe Davis who, as was Scully, is often called upon by other networks – television, cable, and radio – to handle play-by-play calling of (very) major sporting events … say, like, the 2023 World Series, which is being covered by Fox Sports, with Davis handling the play-by-play duties and Hall of Fame right-hander John Smoltz providing the color commentary.
But during Friday evening’s exciting Game-1 of the annual Fall Classic, the popular 35-year old Davis had what can only be described as a ‘Vin Scully Moment’ – two, infact.
With the Arizona Diamondbacks holding on to what appeared to be a relatively comfortable 4-2 lead over the Texas Rangers and needing only three outs to take a one game lead in the Series, Dbacks right-handed reliever Paul Sewald walked Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras on five pitches. And even though Sewald struck out Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien on three pitches for the first out of the inning, it brought extremely popular and always dangerous (ugh) former Dodger and current Rangers shortstop Corey Seager to the plate representing the tying run.
Joe Davis’ live on-air broadcast went like this:
“(Seager) could tie it with one swing.
“Yeah. It’s tied!”
But Wait, There’s More
With the score now tied at 5-5 and with America’s newest baseball hero and Rangers right fielder Adolis García stepping to the plate with the bases empty and one out in the bottom of the 11th, the 30-year-old Ciego de Avila, Cuba native sent Dbacks right-handed reliever Miguel Castro‘s 96.7-MPH 3-1 sinker 373 feet into the right field seats of Globe Life Field for a dramatic walk-off home run.
Joe Davis’ live on-air broadcast went like this:
“Adolis García wins Game-1!”
Well done Corey and Adolis.
…and Joe!
Play Ball!
* * * * * *
I lived in LA during the first half of the ’70s. It wa undeniable that we had the best and the worst broadcasters in the country then. The best being Chick Hearn, the worst being the shrill voiced narcissistic bully Vin Scully who refused to share the booth with Jerry Dogget. I refused to listen and switched to the Spanish broadcast. Iam 81 and have been collecting voices nationwide since the ’40s; heard most all of them and don’t always agree. I listen to teams I don’t like just to hear the announcers. Sirius helps today.
I’m guessing that you never had an opportunity to meet Vin Scully in person. I was very blessed to have done so and to have become friends with him. I can say with a 100% clear conscience that you are very wrong in your assessment of him. But, we are all entitled to our opinions.
Have a great day, Jeff.
Chick Hearn and Vinny were the best announcers pro sports had to offer. Chick had a sense of humor and the ability to go really high with his voice in a split second that I’ve never heard mastered the same way by any other commentator, ever. Chick was announcing basketball games so long ago that it’s a true fact that the term “slam dunk” was coined by Chick himself. There will never be another like him and when he died back in 2002 I found myself — not an emotionally vulnerable man — reduced to tears. And the crying went on and on for something like 4 hours. The Lakers never recaptured my heart after he died. I don’t know why but it just hasn’t been the same and I defected to another team. Vinny is easier to summarize. He announced longer than anyone else in history. Something like 68 years or a crazy number like that. That’s a decently long lifetime, but to spend that much time broadcasting the game you know better than anyone I’ve ever talked with or listened to, is an epoch in history. Vinny didn’t ever repeat the same story twice and he could tell you a different clever insight into even the most mundane player. He was a walking talking baseball encyclopedia. And if you’re not familiar with his work somehow, listen to him call the Bill Buckner World Series error (Boston v NY) and I’d bet everything I own you can’t get through that call without getting goosebumps. He never stumbled over even the most shocking unexpected play. It’s like he always had an Oscar winning narrative to match the action. Vinny and Chick… legends who will never be equaled.
And outstanding assessment of these two remarkable human beings, both on and off the court/field.
Thank you for your input, Jimmy.
And now Davis wont be back? Why? I thought he and Orel made the best set of announcers I’ve heard in a long time.
I live in Tennessee, and I go to see the Blue every year in Cincy. Been a fan since ’55 when we beat the damn yankees. Have made two pilgrimages to Dodger Stadium. My brother and I were fortunate enough to get to deliver food to the clubhouse. Tommy Lasorda came out and gave us autographs.
Thanks for dropping in on us, John, and great Tommy story!
As for Davis not returning in 2024, I could find no mention of that and he is still listed on the Dodgers website as a Dodgers broadcaster. That being said, LA Times Dodgers beat writer Bill Shaikin wrote this last May:
I will update this if I hear otherwise.
Thanks again for dropping in.