Dodgers: Matt Vasgersian was the first choice to replace Vin Scully

When the Los Angeles Dodgers took on the impossible task to find a replacement for Vin Scully, they first tried to hire Matt Vasgersian.

Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis revealed on his podcast that ESPN and MLB Network commentator Matt Vasgersian was the Dodgers’ first choice to replace Vin Scully in the booth when the legendary play-by-play man called it quits after 67 seasons.

Davis gave a detailed account of the process by which he was recruited by the Dodgers to became the local television voice of the team. Over a lengthy period of recruitment and negotiation, he finally accepted the job after Vasgersian, and up to three others, had turned the opportunity down.

Lucky for Dodger fans!

As Davis recounts, he sent an email to the Dodgers in 2015, several months after they had first reached out to him, to check in on the process when he learned about Vasgersian being offered the job.

“They had this point offered the job to Matt Vasgersian,” Davis said on the Off Air with Joe & Orel podcast on Thursday. “And I don’t think I’m speaking out of school saying that. I think that insiders kind of know that […] They had offered the job to Matt Vasgersian, who wasn’t sure, and they were going to give him a month or two to make the decision.”

Vasgersian was a known commodity in baseball, rising in stature. When the Dodgers offered him the chance to replace the retiring Scully, he had already joined John Smoltz to form the number two broadcast team for Fox MLB coverage. He was also working at MLB Network where he was co-host of MLB Network’s new show MLB Central.

Meanwhile, only 26-years-old when he was first contacted in 2014 by the Dodgers, Joe Davis had only called two Major League games on television at that point in his career. He ended out calling a season’s worth of games with Fox throughout the 2015 season. The Michigan native had spent three seasons commentating for the Montgomery Biscuits minor league baseball team from 2010-2012.

Obviously, Davis eventually got the job. He said the White Sox actually recruited him, as well, late in the process.

Orel Hershiser said there was an instant connection upon meeting Davis, and he knew they would be a good team together. He left a warm voicemail for him after their first meeting.

Davis got another voicemail from an interesting person after accepting the job. None other than Vin Scully, himself.

“Hi Joe, it’s Vin Scully in Los Angeles. I tried to get you earlier in the day, so I start off the year 0 for 2,” Scully said on the voicemail played over the podcast. “But I was calling just to welcome you to the family, to wish you great success, and I know you will love the ballclub and the way they treat people.”

In the end, I would say everything worked out the way it should have with Joe Davis in the booth as the new voice of the Dodgers.