It’s not all that uncommon in baseball nowadays to hear of some announcers coming off as curmudgeonly when players celebrate home runs.
Last week in Philadelphia, Phillies announcer Ben Davis made a comment about Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna and third base coach Ron Washington for celebrating a home run in extra innings. The video of Davis’s comments circulated social media over the weekend and got discussed on Monday’s edition of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.
Davis said it was “a joke” that as Ozuna rounded third base headed for home after hitting a home run to give the Braves a 5-0 lead, he and Washington did a quick choreographed handshake. Davis called it a “hand dance.”
Le Batard said with this new age of young stars in the game, you’re seeing a lot more personality from teams and players, which is something Dan has longed to see.
“More young people are having more fun,” he said. “The game has a lot of flair and personality. And I all my life have been arguing on behalf of, please give me some personality, baseball. Please be less reluctant to change.”
Dan did just find it humorous to hear Davis complain about Ozuna and Washington. He said it made him side with Davis in part because the game still needs its purists.
“It made me long for a bygone day in baseball,” he said. “I can’t believe I’m objecting to the youthful changes, because what I want to survive is the salty broadcaster who, it’s hot out there. It’s summer, and he’s been doing this unhappily for 40 years, and Marcell Ozuna is dancing near home plate and he doesn’t like it. Because it’s summer, and he’s down five nothing. And so he blasts Ozuna and his third base coach.”
But overall, Dan later clarified that he has no problem with players bat flipping, having special handshakes, poses, or props in the dugout.
“I love that. I love throughout the sport all the young guys are doing that,” he said. “The sport is caving in on all of its propriety gentleman-ness, but there’s still a Phillies announcer out there for you to get salty with in extra innings in the summer.”
