When the Texas Rangers took a 10-0 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the 2023 World Series, 105.3 The Fan hosts Shan Shariff, RJ Choppy, and Bobby Belt noticed that there was a near three-minute period where FOX Sports analyst John Smoltz did not speak. Instead, play-by-play announcer Joe Davis continued to keep viewers informed regarding the action in the game, which ended by the final score of 11-7.
Shan Shariff started the segment by reading theories that were sent to the station from listeners, trying to formulate a reason why Smoltz is being perceived to have an aversion to the Rangers, including a theory that the team employs Dayton Moore, who moved Smoltz to the bullpen during his final season with the Braves.
“Then you have a very common theory that he’s just trying to keep it entertaining for people to watch in an already abysmal World Series from a ratings standpoint,” Shariff said, referencing results from the first three games on FOX Sports.
Game 3 of the World Series was the least-watched on record, averaging a total of 8.13 million viewers. Co-host RJ Choppy did not think that theory made sense prior to Tuesday night, which was 10-0 by the end of the third inning after consecutive five-run frames by Texas.
“If you look outside of DFW and Phoenix, the amount of people that are watching this series nationally, he probably feels like he was doing it to nobody anyway,” Choppy said of Smoltz. “I get last night – last night from that standpoint – because he was worse last night than ever, than any point in this playoff run.”
“My other theory is he’s depressed without Joe Buck,” Shariff said. “Not that he hates Joe Davis; he just misses Joe Buck.”
Smoltz started working with Davis in the lead MLB on FOX broadcast booth last season after Joe Buck and Troy Aikman signed with ESPN to call Monday Night Football. In addition to his role with NFL coverage, Buck had been the lead voice of the MLB property with FOX and worked with John Smoltz in his latter years with the network.
“That clip right there had the most laughter I’ve heard from John Smoltz throughout the entire playoffs,” Shariff said in response to Smoltz’s amazement at the Rangers’ offensive performance. “He just sounds tired.”
