Monday night’s World Baseball Classic semifinal matchup between Japan and Mexico was a game worthy of big-time announcer calls.
And much like Japan’s Munetaka Murakami in the bottom of the ninth, Fox’s Joe Davis stepped up to the plate and delivered when it mattered most.
There’s been so much attention paid to Davis this past year as he’s stepped into the big shoes left behind by Joe Buck, calling the 2022 World Series and grasping onto the mantle of America’s baseball voice for the foreseeable future. He seems to have cemented that status during the 2023 WBC and baseball fans have been coming out of the woodwork to shower praise on him for the way he calls the game’s biggest moments.
Monday night, he had plenty of moments to choose from. And more often than not, he let the excitement on the field do the heavy lifting, preferring to set the table around them in order to provide context without making it about him.
There’s no better example than when Randy Arozarena became a whole mood after robbing Japan of a home run in the fifth inning. Davis shared his excitement at the moment and then, recognizing what the outfielder was doing, let everyone appreciate it.
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1637981082485415936
When Masataka Yoshida tied the game up in the seventh inning, Davis gave the moment its weight by calling it “an iconic swing” and then let the crowd take over.
"An iconic swing" from Masataka Yoshida. pic.twitter.com/1XOlwYjL5K
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 21, 2023
And finally, Davis’s call of Japan’s game-winning hit by Murakami, Davis gave audiences just enough information to understand everything that was happening before getting the heck out of the way to let the Japanese players’ celebration and Mexican players’ dejection tell the story in a way that no announcer could.
"Cracked in the air…deep centerfield…Thomas on the move…it's off the wall…Ohtani's in to score…here comes the winning run…JAPAN TURNS IT AROUND ON ITS LAST BREATH!" https://t.co/Oi7p42eDnJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 21, 2023
It may not seem like much, but in the world of baseball play-by-play, the delicate balance between too little and too much is something that so few announcers can master. And by all accounts, the baseball world seems to feel like Davis has got it down.
Joe Davis is the voice of baseball. Can’t think of another active broadcaster I’d rather hear call this electric moment.pic.twitter.com/QJcyiKkHaz
— Klein25 (@Klein25) March 21, 2023
A thing I really enjoy about Joe Davis is his calls always feel like they are describing the moment. He's never reaching for a pun or trying to be clever. Just matching the energy, then getting out of the way. https://t.co/zocOlgb4lm
— Johnny Two Hats (@Johnny_2Hats) March 21, 2023
Joe Davis is just baseball Gus Johnson now. If he’s calling it there’s like a 70% chance the game is gonna be a banger
— Robert Orr (@NotTheBobbyOrr) March 21, 2023
Every Joe Davis call has me jumping out of my seat tbh. Dude is just an unreal broadcaster.
Kinda overlooked how he seamlessly took over the Dodgers broadcast post-Scully. https://t.co/M39lTZuglY
— Jordan Leandre (@JordanLeandre55) March 21, 2023
Here's the walk-off – great call from Joe Davis, who is an A++++++ baseball broadcaster pic.twitter.com/ymDfXNzw41
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) March 21, 2023
https://twitter.com/STAAtalent/status/1638011033477324801
Joe Davis is generational
— Mike (@mhc_76) March 21, 2023
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About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.