The Dodgers yesterday agreed to a "multi-year deal" with broadcaster Joe Davis, making him the "third TV voice on the Dodgers' roster to do a 50-game schedule" in '16, according to Tom Hoffarth of the L.A. DAILY NEWS. Davis is a "somewhat under-the-radar 27-year-old who has carved out a nice niche of doing Fox MLB and college football games." Davis will work with SportsNet LA analysts Orel Hershiser and Nomar Garciaparra on a "majority of the road games." Charley Steiner will do "about 30 road games on TV with Hershiser and/or Garciaparra as well, and continue to be the radio play-by-play voice on the road with Rick Monday as the analyst when Davis is on TV." Vin Scully has said that '16 in all likelihood "will be his last and his likely schedule is doing as many home games as he chooses, with an occasional trip" to Anaheim and S.F. if desired. Hoffarth notes for at least the last 16-month period, the Dodgers and Davis have "been in deep discussions for this role, working to see how the pieces could fit as he continues to have a presence on Fox’s regional MLB package." Davis made "several trips to L.A. during the summer and even had what was 'a recruiting lunch' with Hershiser along the way." Davis "knows he likely won’t be working alongside Scully as a mentor" in '16, but he will "make the time" to visit with him as much as possible (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 11/12). In L.A., Steve Dilbeck notes the Dodgers now "have identified" Scully's "heir apparent" in Davis. It is a "smart move by the Dodgers." They "get a year of watching Davis up close, and if he works as hoped, he could take over for Scully whenever he does retire." If Davis "doesn’t measure up ... the Dodgers can move on to some Plan B" (L.A. TIMES, 11/12).
