Joe Davis (sportscaster)

Broadcasting career

Davis called football, basketball, baseball and hockey for ESPN and was formerly the voice of the Montgomery Biscuits. From 2011-2012, Davis called college football, basketball, and baseball for Comcast Sports Southeast and served as a studio host for the Baylor ISP Network for the Baylor Bears and called NCAA Division III football and basketball for D3Sports.com. He is one of the very few broadcasters who has announced Division I sports along with Division III sports as well. For one season, Joe was the lead voice of the 2009 Illinois High School Volleyball State Championships and was the manager of broadcasting & media as well as calling games for the Schaumburg Flyers. His past work includes Beloit College basketball (men's and women's) and baseball as well as fill-in work for the Loyola Ramblers men's volleyball and women's basketball. He also called Sun Belt football and basketball for the Sun Belt Network. In July 2014 Davis was hired by Fox Sports 1 to call Pac-12 and Big 12 football and basketball as well as regional Major League Baseball and National Football League games.

In November 2015, Davis was hired by SportsNet LA to serve as an alternate play-by-play commentator for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2016 season. He split the play-by-play role with Charley Steiner for games that were not called by Vin Scully, who would be retiring as the team's television broadcaster at the end of the season. Davis subsequently became Scully's successor for the 2017 season, alongside Orel Hershiser on color. In interviews, Davis stated that he did not plan to entirely emulate Vin Scully's style, use his catchphrases, or be viewed as a "replacement" of him, arguing that one cannot "replace the greatest anyone of all time in anything". He did, however, state that he wanted to maintain Scully's focus upon storytelling as a reminder of the traits of Scully. In regards to his transition to the role, Davis explained that "hopefully, some have listened and at least learned to tolerate me. But for my comfort level, last year was very important, and having Orel in the booth has been the best part, and biggest reason, for this being an enjoyable experience so far, personally and professionally. I'm eternally grateful to him for how he has gone out of his way."

Personal

Davis grew up in Potterville, Michigan and graduated from Beloit College in 2010 with a degree in communications and journalism. He is among the youngest broadcasters ever broadcasting sports in their twenties along with Adam Amin, a broadcaster from ESPN; and Jared Sandler, a play-by-play broadcaster for the Texas Rangers. He currently resides in South Pasadena, California with his wife Libby and daughter Charlotte.

Career timeline