The Philadelphia Phillies and Comcast SportsNet have announced that Ben Davis will replace Jamie Moyer this upcoming season as color commentator.
Davis will join Tom McCarthy, Matt Stairs, Mike Schmidt and Gregg Murphy on television, who will be returning under their similar roles from this past season. Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke and Jim Jackson will also be returning in their similar, respective roles on radio. Davis will be on a rotating schedule with Matt Stairs in the booth, similar to what was seen last season with Moyer and the left-handed slugger, according to Phillies beat writer Ryan Lawrence.
CSNPhilly.com's John Finger writes:
Davis spent the last four years working for Comcast SportsNet as a studio analyst on the Phillies pre- and postgame shows. He also made regular appearances on sports radio station, WIP. Growing up in Delaware County, Davis spent his summer nights watching the Phillies telecasts featuring Harry Kalas, Richie Ashburn and Chris Wheeler.
In addition to appearing as an in-studio, game analyst for CSN, he has also made appearances on SportsRadio 94WIP's Morning Show. Recently, he received high praise at the CBS-affiliated station from host Angelo Cataldi. Davis thanked Cataldi, and went on to state the following regarding his love for the game:
“I love baseball. A lot of folks have come up to me recently and have said well, ‘Ben this is might be a long season. It’s going be a tough season.’ I said, you know what, it’s baseball. I love it and you get to watch it everyday and you never know what’s going to happen.”
Davis received consideration last offseason to be one of the replacements in the booth for Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews Sr., however the camaraderie duo of Stairs and Moyer, former 2008 World Series championship teammates, ultimately drew the greater interest and ultimate hire from Comcast SportsNet. This shift in the booth came after a $2.5 billion agreement was reached between the television network and the Phillies organization.
Comcast SportsNet President Brian Monihan had the following to say about the hire:
“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, a former major league catcher and Delaware County native, to our Phillies broadcast team. Ben is a true student of the game and has provided valuable insight to our Phillies pre- and post-game coverage. We are confident in Ben’s ability to inform and entertain fans with his distinctive analysis and easy-going style during our game broadcasts.”
In November, Moyer stepped down from his broadcasting position with the Phillies after just one season behind the microphone. He reportedly desires to spend more time with his family over in California. In an interview conducted by Comcast SportsNet, Moyer further explained the reasoning behind his decision:
“At the end of the Phillies' season, I gave the situation a great deal of thought, with my family in mind. I enjoyed my year behind the mic tremendously, and the opportunity to work with Tom, Matt, Mike and Gregg is one I will cherish.
However, as we are now based on the West Coast, the geography presents unique challenges to the matter at hand. I thus reached a decision that, for the moment, it’s very difficult to balance a bicoastal professional life with family life at home.
I thank Comcast SportsNet, the Phillies and, of course, the fans for letting me share my insights into the team this past season and wish the team success in the coming years.”
Davis, 37, played seven seasons in the Major Leagues. He put up a career triple-slash line of .237/.306/.366, hitting for 38 home runs and 204 runs-batted-in over 1,512 at-bats. He had the following to say about being the newest Phillies' broadcaster:
"Growing up a Philadelphia Phillies fan, this is a dream come true. I look forward to working with Mike, Matt, Tom and Gregg in the booth, and I thank Comcast SportsNet and the Phillies for this opportunity."
The switch-hitting, former catcher was drafted second overall in the first round of the 1995 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres, where he would spend the first four seasons of his career. Davis was traded to the Seattle Mariners on December 11, 2001, along with Wascar Serrano and Alex Arias (Phillie utility-infielder from 1998-2000), in exchange for Tom Lampkin, Brett Tomko, and Ramon Vazquez. Two-and-a-half seasons later he was traded again, for the second time of his career, on June 27, 2004. He and Freddy Garcia were sent to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Mike Morse, Miguel Olivo and Jeremy Reed.
In 2001, Davis led the National League in defensive games played behind the plate with 135, two more than Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall (133) and four more than the New York Mets' Mike Piazza (131).
Former Phillies shortstop, Kevin Stocker, was the other rumored candidate heavily considered by Comcast SportsNet to replace Moyer in the booth, according to Todd Zolecki. Stocker has over a decade of broadcasting experience, with him recently finishing his second season with the Pac-12 Network. Prior, he served as a color analyst for CBS Sports Network's college baseball broadcasts.
In recent conversation with Mitch Williams, another viable candidate, I was told he never received a call from the Phillies, nor Comcast SportsNet about the open position.
