The Los Angeles Dodgers hired Stephen Nelson to be part of their SportsNet LA broadcast team for the 2023 season after a two-year stint as co-host of the popular MLB Network show “Intentional Talk.”
Nelson will call more than 50 home and road games this year, with the bulk of them coming when Joe Davis is working as the lead voice for MLB on Fox broadcasts.
Nelson was in the booth this past weekend for the Dodgers’ opening series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and recalled a fond memory of his broadcast partner Orel Hershiser.
Nelson’s mother asked Hershiser to autograph a baseball for her child, which he brought into the SportsNet LA booth and described how special it is to now be calling games with the 1988 National League Cy Young Award winner.
30 years ago, @StephenNelson's mom asked @OrelHershiser to sign a ball for her son. Fast forward to 2023, her son now shares the booth with him. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/AAkBdxzUk0
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 2, 2023
Hershiser was touched by the sentiment and joked that the value of Nelson’s signed baseball is going to plummet as the years go on.
Nelson and Hershiser posed for a photo with the baseball, and Nelson later added that he hoped the right-hander would sign another ball for him to commemorate the night.
Stephen Nelson honored to join Dodgers broadcast team
When Nelson was first hired by the Dodgers, he expressed an excitement to call games for his hometown team. “It’s impossible to convey the emotions that come with this opportunity,” Nelson said in a statement.
“This isn’t simply coming home. This isn’t simply being an announcer for a professional sports team. This is The Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s the best organization in baseball for so many reasons and I can’t wait to be a tiny part of it and its best-in-class production team.
“Growing up in Southern California, like so many Angelenos, I enjoyed a front-row seat to broadcast greatness with Vin, Jaime, Chick, Bob Miller and others. That tradition has continued with Joe Davis. To work with and learn from somebody that has become a friend in recent years is special. This is an honor and blessing that I’ll work tirelessly to earn.”
Prior to joining the Dodgers for the regular season, Nelson was with José Mota to call 2023 World Baseball Classic games from Japan.
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