Now that Major League Baseball’s Opening Day has come and gone, questions were answered as to what baseball’s new rules would do to both the television and radio broadcasts of the games. FOX Sports and Los Angeles Dodgers television voice Joe Davis said he never had any worries.
During a podcast interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s TV’s Top 5, Davis admitted wishing he had more time during a broadcast has never been an issue.
“I can count on one hand how many times in my career I have wished that I had more time. I never want more time,” Davis said. “Our best broadcasts come when the pitchers are working quickly and you’re leaning forward in your seat instead of slouching back wondering when the next pitch is going to come.”
Davis did say, however, that if anyone needed and deserved more time in a broadcast, it was his legendary predecessor Vin Scully.
“None of us are Vin Scully, and none of us are ever going to be so we don’t need a bunch of time between pitches. We need balls in play and we’ll tell the stories that we’re going to tell. It’s the nature of a two-man booth versus what Vin was doing.”
After getting a few games under his belt during Spring Training, Davis said he is optimistic about the way the broadcasts will sound throughout the season.
“I think that I have a good feel and rhythm for the game. I’ve worked really hard on storytelling. I’ve studied it like it’s a discipline and have talked with great storytellers and have listened to Vin for years,” Davis said. “You’re only going to be as good as the amount of practice you put into it. And I’ve done that throughout my seven or eight years of doing this. I’m not Vin and I never will be.
“But I’d like to think that I’m better than I was last year — and a lot better than I was eight years ago — but not as good as I’m going to be at the end of this year.”
