In case you missed it in 2016, legendary sports broadcaster and Armada, Michigan-native Dick Enberg made a guest appearance as the play-by-play for one Tigers game at home against the Rays. The Hall of Fame sportscaster was on a farewell tour in 2016 as he retired from the booth. He had been the voice of the San Diego Padres since 2009.
On Wednesday, Fox Sports Detroit announced that Enberg will make another return to the booth at Comerica Park for the 2017 season. This time, it will be for a whole series.
Also: Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Enberg will call the Dodgers-Tigers series on Aug. 18-20, per @HiKirkHere.
— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) January 25, 2017
Enberg called the one game with Kirk Gibson last season. Gibson will join Enberg again for the series at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers from August 18-20.
FSD made some other noteworthy announcements on Wednesday regarding their Tigers telecast personnel for the 2017. Among them was that Jack Morris will not return to do coverage for the Tigers.
Jack Morris bows out of Tigers' television booth for 2017, @HiKirkHere reports: https://t.co/FKor3qrAWM
— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) January 25, 2017
Morris, as some of you may have known, did color commentating for the Twins and their affiliate, Fox Sports North, during the 2016 season in addition to his part-time gig with the Tigers at FSD. According to FSD general manager Greg Hammaren, Morris made the decision himself to stick with just Twins telecasts.
“It was hard on (Morris), on his travel schedule,” Hammaren said. “It didn’t allow for him to be as integrated as possible as both sides would have liked.”
“So it was a mutual decision that allows him to concentrate his energies on behalf of the Twins and we stabilize our Tigers’ analysts with Rod and Gibby.”
That’s right. Hammaren and FSD also announced that both Rod Allen and Kirk Gibson will return to the booth in 2017. Currently, Allen is slated according to work 102 of the Tigers games this season, with Gibby assigned the other 60. This does include the Tigers games this upcoming season that will be showcased on national television.
Also, former Tigers outfielder and FSD analyst Craig Monroe will be back to do pre- and postgame “Tigers Live” action this season as well as the occasional in-game, on-field analyst. That news also coming from Hammaren and his team.
One little twist that was implemented during the 2016 FSD telecasts of Tigers games was having their TV play-by-play man Mario Impemba and radio play-by-play host Dan Dickerson occasionally switch booths throughout the season, this having Impemba doing radio and Dickerson do TV for a handful of series or so. According to Hammaren, that will not be the case in 2017.
“It’s very difficult for a TV play-by-play to drop in and do a radio game,” Hammaren said. “It’s not fair to either one. … I’m glad I’m tried and learned a lot. … I have to be responsive to fans.”
Hammaren in the release on Wednesday discussed on how the multiple moving parts in the booth, both TV and radio, was not the best of ideas looking back, and the moving parts were “not received well” by fans.
