TBS Adding John Smoltz To Playoff Coverage

Monday, September 01, 2008


TBS still just can't quite figure out their postseason roster of announcers and are adding yet another analyst to the mix. This time it's current Braves Pitcher John Smoltz who isn't technically retired yet. Via Sports Business Daily....

TBS is close to signing injured Braves P John Smoltz to be an on-air color analyst during MLB playoff games, sources confirmed. The two sides have been talking, and an agreement is said to be close. The plan is to have Smoltz work the booth at one of the games. It's not known which play-by-play announcer he would be paired with. TBS is expected to announce its broadcasting teams during the playoffs in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, TBS' studio show for the playoffs is expected to be the same as its All-Star selection show, with Ernie Johnson, Cal Ripken Jr., Harold Reynolds and Dennis Eckersley. Frank Thomas is not expected to return.
Smoltz was also recently miked up during a Peachtree TV gig and was said to really enjoyed himself, which is what brought this deal along. I think TBS is finally starting to get a good unit together, but they seem to be adding someone new just about every few weeks. Hopefully they'll have it figured out by October.

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 11:33 AM

6 Comments:

Remember TBS only has one game a week, using Darling and Buck Martinez but 4 LDS series. So adding other announcers is needed. It's different than Turner's NBA on TNT -3 analysts in place (Collins, Fratello, Reggie) and their great studio.The model - for better or worse - is similiar to FOX's BCS coverage.

Anonymous said...
Sep 1, 2008, 12:07:00 PM  

No I understand that Anon, but this isn't their first year doing this. They seem to scramble right before the playoffs every September trying to find people.

Sep 1, 2008, 12:09:00 PM  

Well Smoltz is local to the tbs studios and he's on Atlanta radio all the time. I don't see it so much as a scramble but a good opportunity to add someone without too much effort. If it's not working, drop him before the ALCS. Plus, tbs has all sorts of time to kill between Frank TV ads.

Doneycat said...
Sep 1, 2008, 2:39:00 PM  

omfg....BRING BACK THE BRAVES TBS!!!

Anonymous said...
Sep 1, 2008, 5:09:00 PM  

It is an election year. Let's ask John Smoltz about gay marriage!

I kid, I kid. What is the PBP situation? Dick Stockton has no right to call baseball games anymore (Or really any sport for that matter), Don Orsillo should not be doing NL teams, Chip Caray needs to be buzzed every time he lies or is completely lazy in his effusive glory, and Ted Robinson "aw shucks" attitude should never be unleashed on the general public ever again and I say that as a Mets fan who suffered watching him and Fran Healy in what is pre-Holy Trinity II (Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez).

Anonymous said...
Sep 1, 2008, 11:43:00 PM  

I'm a Red Sox fan who loves Orsillo. I can only imagine TBS wanted him last year, but could not put him on the Red Sox and Yankee Nation would never have gone for a Boston announcer. With the Yankees buh-bye, I'd imagine Orsillo is on the Tampa series.

Anonymous said...
Sep 2, 2008, 10:27:00 AM  

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