Joe Davis didn’t take the responsibility of calling the 2024 World Series lightly. It had been a moment he’d aspired to since he was young. This one was different.
He would call a once-in-a-lifetime moment in the 10th inning of Game 1 when Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam.
FREDDIE FREEMAN WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM IN GAME 1 OF THE WORLD SERIES!
Joe Davis on the call for Fox. ⚾️💣🔥🔥🔥🎙️ #MLB pic.twitter.com/f4wmwB3dN0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 26, 2024
He detailed the call on The Sports-Casters podcast.
“That was special,” Davis said. “No matter what team is delivering that moment, that’s going to be special. I told you before, I grew up dreaming of being the voice of the World Series. To have a moment like that happen — not only is it the World Series, we’re talking an all-time World Series-moment right there. That’s what you dream of.”
He paid homage to another World Series moment in 1988 when Kirk Gibson, whose walk-off homer in Game 1, also caused a win.
“Freeman, hits a ball to right field — she is … goooone! Gibby, meet Freddie!” Davis called. “Game 1 of the World Series!”
To put the “gravy on top of it,” Davis is the full-time voice of the Dodgers during the season which made it extra special to be in the moment for his team.
There was pushback with that, of course. Opposing fans didn’t like the fact that the Dodgers were able to keep their own play-by-play voice, while the rest of the MLB had to forego their regional coverage and be taken over by national announcers.
“Fandom is blinding, especially that time of year, and that’s great,” Davis said. “That’s what makes fandom in sports amazing. So I totally get it, I would have been the same way as a kid watching my team, getting upset at the announcers. It comes with the territory and, ‘Do I wish everybody liked me?’ Of course.”
Davis added, with all that said, he hoped that nobody left thinking he wasn’t good at his job or didn’t work hard to get ready for the games.
“Hopefully, it was a month where I showed that I care and I prepped hard, and that I’m going to hopefully do the job well.”
Back in October, Davis admitted he critiqued his call a little too much.
“I’ve definitely gone back and picked it apart, probably more than is healthy,” he said.
Davis said he still can’t wrap his head around how big of a moment that was for him. That’s how big of a deal it was. When he talks amongst his friends when they ask to rank for him in all-time World Series moments. He said it has to be top five.
“I say it, but it doesn’t hit me right,” Davis said. “I think it will with a little more time having passed.”
