Earlier this year Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis was named the lead MLB play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports in their 27th season televising games. The promotion made Davis the new voice of MLB’s premier events, including the World Series.
Davis called the majority of Dodgers games for SportsNet LA this season but as October arrived, shifted his focus to the postseason. He was in the booth for the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, earning praise for his home run call of Bryce Harper’s game-winning home run in Game 5.
Had the Dodgers advanced to the NLCS, Davis would have announced games for the team he spent the last six months with. However, L.A. was upset by San Diego and sent into the offseason earlier than anticipated.
Davis felt some disappointment in the result but admitted he is relieved to not have to call Dodgers games in the World Series over fears of being deemed biased, via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times:
“It would have been amazing to be home, to be able to sleep in my bed and be in my booth and have all the comforts with the familiarity of calling the Dodgers,” Davis said, “but it would certainly be an added layer of nuance to what is already a first-time thing for me.
“I’ve done enough Dodger games nationally, and Dodger playoff games, where it’s not a difficult thing for me to flip that switch from being the Dodger guy to the neutral national guy. But there is something to be said for a clean matchup where I don’t have to think about that added layer.”
While Davis has called Dodgers playoff games for Fox in the past, he was especially concerned over the possibility of L.A. advancing to the World Series and being accused of favoritism.
Davis joined Fox Sports in 2014 as a play-by-play announcer for the network’s MLB, college football and college basketball coverage. In 2017, Davis was named the Dodgers’ new play-by-play announcer, succeeding legendary broadcaster Vin Scully. All the while Davis continued to perform roles with Fox.
Joe Davis appreciating time off social media
Davis, who replaced Joe Buck as Fox’s lead MLB play-by-play announcer, drew support of the voice of Monday Night Football and also decided to take a break from social media to avoid potentially becoming consumed by negative comments.
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