Los Angeles Dodgers: Joe Davis, play-by-play; Orel Hershiser, Rick Monday, color.
It’s not so much that Dodger telecasts are bad. They’re just sort of bland.
Whether this reflects a corporate policy or the individual choices of the telecast crew is hard to discern. The Dodgers certainly have plenty to cheer about. But watching the telecast of a Dodger game often comes across akin to watching the telecast of an IBM board meeting.
The color guys, primarily Hershiser and Monday, are both team legends. Monday has worked the color side for more than a quarter-century, while Hershiser is aboard for a fifth season.
Both obviously know what they’re talking about, and both take a professional approach to their jobs. What sometimes seems to be lacking might best be described as chemistry.
Davis is not likely to be the guy to fill that void. He’s in his third season as the voice of possibly the most prestigious team in American sports — certainly in the NL West — yet it’s likely that even a minority of Dodger fans – much less casual fans – could tell you a lot about him or identify him from the sound of his voice.
Again, that’s not necessarily an indictment, especially in a very large, very successful market where the operational directive probably is “don’t’ rock the boat.”
But if it makes for safe TV, that is not necessarily good TV.
Experience: 3
Likeability: 4
Knowledge: 5
Humor: 3
Rapport: 4
Oratory: 4
Total: 23