Joe Block Joins DodgerTalk, Replacing Ken Levine
by Eric Stephen on Feb 9, 2011 4:15 PM PST
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PrintKABC announced today that Joe Block has been named co-host of DodgerTalk, teaming with Josh Suchon on the radio postgame show for the 2011 season. Block comes directly from New Orleans, where he was a studio host for New Orleans Hornets' broadcasts, and was the play-by-play man in Jacksonville from 2003-2006, including during the Jacksonville Five era. Block was one of the candidates to become the Dodgers' backup TV announcer in 2009, a job that ultimately went to Eric Collins.
This announcement coincides with Ken Levine leaving DodgerTalk after three seasons, which is understandable since Levine will be broadcasting some Mariners' games this season (a move no doubt endorsed by our friends at AZ Snakepit), as a multi-broadcaster tribute to the late Dave Niehaus, who passed away this offseason. Levine, the Emmy-winning comedy writer who wrote several episodes of M*A*S*H and Cheers, to name a few credits, had the perfect temperament for a radio call-in show, using his sense of humor to defuse the inanity that is sometimes heard from callers to the show. Levine had a great rapport with Suchon, and it showed on the air, and off.
The good news is that Levine might still contribute in some way to DodgerTalk:
However, there's a strong likelihood that I will continue to contribute to Dodger Talk -- features and whatnot -- so I'm not totally gone.
While I am excited to have Block on board, especially for his perspective on Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp, Jonathan Broxton, James Loney, et al, Levine will be missed.
Block is on Twitter, at @Joe_Block.
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No more cane sugar Dr Pepper!?!
The horror. Now what am I going to marinade my meat in.
This Concept of "Wuv" Confuses and Infuriates me!
I remember Joe Block from his ST tryout.
He was pretty good, with a more laid back style. I actually preferred him over Eric Collins. He seemed a little more unique compared to the Joe Buck/Thom Brennaman-styled baseball play-by-play broadcasters. Had a bit of a laid back Southern style.
I think
anyone from Southern California would take umbrage at being called a Southerner.
"I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. "
That is true
but then there has only been 6 regular radio broadcasters in LA (with a little Jerry Reuss).
Vin
Jerry Doggett
Ross Porter
Don Drysdale
Rick Monday
Charley Steiner
Big D Local
Steiner has to be an East Coast guy along with Vin
Have no idea where Doggett and Porter hailed from, though Porter had enough of a dialect that someone who knows these things should easily be able to tell.
"I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. "
Before I look it up, I thought Ross was an Oklahoman.
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Also
Rick Monday was born in Batesville, Arkansas but went to Santa Monica High School.
Jerry Doggett hails from Missouri.
Rick Monday was born in Batesville, Arkansas but went to Santa Monica High School.
Do we know any details about this? What brought his family to LA — did they move here because Rick showed such promise as a ballplayer, and they wanted him to be in a place where he could develop/get more exposure? Or did his family move for another reason?
Wikipedia offers nothing, but reading down, I see this:
Monday’s home run dashed what turned out to be the Expos’ only chance at a pennant in their 36-year history in the National League.
I don’t wish anything different on 1981, but as for 1994, when the Expos were leading the pack before the season and postseason were called off — fuck you, Selig.
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
by Humma Kavula on Feb 9, 2011 9:18 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
When we are even older than we are now
We will sit our grandchildren down on our knees, and we will say, “Holy shit, Spawn of Spawn, 1994 was a bad time to be a baseball fan.”
And they will say, “Whatever, old man. Can I go play PlayStation Brain now?”
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
Oh, he’d totally have broken the record if they’d played the last 50 games. But maybe he wouldn’t have gotten to 70…. if not, of course, McGwire would have bested that record in ’98, and then Bonds.
And then the Mitchell Report, and blah blah blah.
Maybe the only difference that would have resulted is that maybe Matt Williams, and not Mark McGwire, would have become the poster child for PEDs, and maybe, just maybe, we could all get past that particular disaster just a little bit quicker. But probably not: it is probably going to take going through HOF cases of Bonds and Clemens before we can move on.
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
this
…as well as “This Time It Counts”, no instant replay except when it affects a Yankee-Met game on ESPN Sunday night baseball, 2008 Astros “home game” in Milwaukee, 2008 game 5 of the World Series, letting the NFL become the de-facto national pasttime on his watch, letting underfunded owners into the club while turning down Mark Cuban because he wouldn’t be good for baseball!
(Oh, and our new skipper wishes 1994 never happened, either.)
Wait a minute
When was the first season the leagues officially split into three divisions — was it 1994 or 1995?
Were the 52-62 Rangers really in line for a playoff spot had the postseason not been cancelled?
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
by Humma Kavula on Feb 9, 2011 10:18 PM PST up reply actions
GOOD GOD
Double-plus fuck you, Selig, for not letting THAT happen. The 1994 postseason mighta been the best ever!
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
by Humma Kavula on Feb 9, 2011 10:25 PM PST up reply actions
"This Time It Counts"
I always relish the opportunity to post this image:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
by Humma Kavula on Feb 9, 2011 10:14 PM PST up reply actions
This may belong in one of Maddz' class threads, but...
I would argue (and did in my college thesis!), that the NFL surpassed baseball as our “national pastime” in the wake of the Vietnam War. Bud can and should be faulted for most of those things, but not that one.
I meant to say that of course
there are no Southerners in that group but going back, there is the original, Red Barber.
Is
being the host of Dodger Talk a better gig then play by play for the Hornets? Will he continue on as the Hornet play by play guy?
"I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. "
Oh,
read fail, Studio Host.
Wonder if he’ll bring in any Jacksonville stories, he might be an interesting interview for TBLA.
"I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. "
Joe Block
would have been a great football name.
"I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. "
According to Pro-Football-Reference.com
there has never been an NFL player with the last name of “Block”
There has been one
NBA player – USC alum John Block who was drafted by the Lakers in 1966, played for the Rockets and Bucks among other teams.
And two MLB players, Cy and Bruno
I think Bob T already fed me this joke but I can't believe no one else here tried it...
but…
Meet Joe Block.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
That’s his website!!!
Seriously
by Eric Stephen on Feb 9, 2011 8:00 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
She wants 8 inches, I gotta hit that shit twice
by keithc13 on Feb 9, 2011 5:14 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I did not know that the Ogden Raptors
also had camo unis. That’s Austin King in the picture.
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
C
amo should be restricted to soldiers and taggers.
"I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes. "
I don’t see anyone.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Feb 9, 2011 5:26 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I like the hats at least...
(my mom always told me if you don’t have anything nice to say…)
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
Just bought Bill James New Historical Abstract
continuing my tradition of buying baseball books I want and then giving them to my dad(is two gifts long enough for a tradition?)
This Concept of "Wuv" Confuses and Infuriates me!
Countdown of most memorable plays of the decade
Number 11, Finley’s Slam.
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
baseball
it’s on MLBN
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Feb 9, 2011 6:57 PM PST up reply actions
Mariano Rivera’s going to get fucked up twice here, right?
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
#1
“BASE HIT!!!! DIAMONDBACKS WIN!!!! GONZALEZ DID IT!!!!”
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Feb 9, 2011 7:10 PM PST up reply actions
I gotta think
Dave Roberts steals second has got to be in there.
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
I’m recommending this, just for the perfect setup.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 9, 2011 10:16 PM PST up reply actions
twas
indeed.
I forget the number though.
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Feb 10, 2011 6:15 AM PST up reply actions
one week!!
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Feb 9, 2011 8:08 PM PST up reply actions
Gonna be about seven weeks until we get the night games though.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 9, 2011 8:18 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
The only thing about Levine..
.. is that, although he seemed to some extent honest about his opinions, he still towed the company line and failed to admit deficiencies the team obviously had. But that’s what Dodger talk is I suppose. You can’t bag on the team too much..
Last year
Ichiro played in 162 games, had 732 PA, 214 hits, 42 SB, and a .359 OBP.
He scored 74 runs.
I know this is snarky but I can't resist -- Don't hate me
This just in: the 2010 Mariners had a very bad offense.
We now repeat our top story tonight: the Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
Dodger Talk Host
As the co-host of Dodger Talk, I assume he is an employee of KABC. My question is, is being a co-host of Dodger Talk a full-time job? How many hours a day would this job be? Does he travel with the team or do they do the show from the studio on road games? If no travel is involved it doesn’t seem like too time consuming of a job. I mean he probably has to do some prep work and watch the actual game. I am just curious if Joe Block and even Josh Suchon have side jobs. Maybe free lance type gigs. Any ideas?
vr, Xei
They are at the stadium on game days for 8-9 hours, and they travel with the team on many of the road trips. Not every trip; I think last year they went on half the trips or something like that. When they don’t travel with the team, they do the show from the KABC studio in LA.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 9, 2011 10:20 PM PST up reply actions
so it sounds like full time gig
Just curious. It’s not like they do the show from their basement then. :)
Sometimes one of them was on the road and the other in a KABC studio.
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
yeah
I think Levine usually stayed in LA
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Feb 10, 2011 6:18 AM PST up reply actions
They both went on trips. Levine for instance was on the trip last year that took them through New York while Suchon was back in LA.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 10, 2011 6:53 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Anyone watch the FNL finale?
I did and was a bit disappointed in the “everyone lives happily ever after” ending. Seems like an easy and very predictable way out but I think The Wire has ruined all future tv viewing for me bc nothing measures up to that show.
Damn you
and your DirectTv access
I will toss you in slow-rec softball
by robotmadeofnails on Feb 9, 2011 10:54 PM PST up reply actions
Keith
I am watching Man vs. Food in Arkansas. They are eating some pulled pork with “shut up” juice on it. He earlier had a Hubcap Burger.
by bhsportsguy on Feb 9, 2011 11:53 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Meh, show was weak, sure the guys took the company line but you can’t blame um. 30 Minutes after the game, 20 minute show with a bunch of kool-aid drinkers calling in, i stopped listening at some point, don’t blame um for leaving either.
by DodgersKings323 on Feb 10, 2011 4:28 AM PST reply actions
Brooklyn Dadgers Baseball Cards
I would like to collect Brooklyn Dodgers baseball cards from 1953 through their departure to LA.
by Wesley Rothermel on Feb 10, 2011 12:21 PM PST reply actions
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