Detroit Tigers announcer Jason Benetti discusses his journey, love of baseball & more | Flippin Bats

[@FlippinBatsPod]

Are you excited for Benetti to call Tigers games?

[@tedwitus]

ABSOLUTELY Ben ~ !! great get, and great interview as a lifelong Tigers fan ..maybe the best thing to happen to the Tigers since the Padres mysteriously overlooked your bro for a HS second-baseman and the greatest pitcher in our history fell into our lap #Verlander35 #GoTigers

[@jeremykayy]

YES! One of the best in the game 👑

[@scottj.hopkins586]

Absolutely not! He needs to go back to where ever he came from!

[@jimbo91262]

Absolutely ! Even after never hearing him call a game. But after listening to your outstanding podcast for the first time, I'm really excited for Jason Benetti.

[@richardleclear]

Since I am a White Sox anti-fan, I knew nothing about Mr. Bennetti or his career. However, after watching some of the interviews he has done since his hiring, including this one, I am VERY excited and pleased that he will be the voice of the Tigers, for hopefully a very long time. Good on the Tigers organization for bringing him in, after the Rod/Mario debacle, it's been tough watching the games the last few years. So it's been exclusively radio for me, but I look forward to changing that narrative this year! Welcome to Detroit Jason and may the spirit of Ernie stay with you and help you create magic!

[@bryhow4]

Really excited! Great pick up by the Tigers!! Great interview Ben!

[@FlippinBatsPod]

Thanks. Jason is a LEGEND!

[@benjaminbrewer7614]

Terrific interview Ben. You should apply to Tigers to be the color guy. Replacing the clown show they now present. Petry is fine, but the rest are jokes. I have been a Tiger fan since 53' and have seen it all since that time. From Kaline & Kuenn to Green & Torkleson. Matt Shepherd was destroyed in the booth by people with him, and he was at a loss to overcome them. I wish Jason the best, but it appears he is stuck with the same bunch.

[@whyimsmarterthanyou]

Love Jason's style and I'm glad he found a landing space. That said, you can't help but wonder if commentators being employees of the team, rather than being employed by a broadcaster rights holder, will inhibit the trade from calling a spade a spade when poor team performance needs to be called out. Ownership and front office editorial influence has long been exerted on broadcast media when the Ls outweigh the Ws and a negative narrative can hurt ticket sales. It's a concerning evolution if you want to actually understand what's going down with a club. If you just want 'happy clapping' (a European football term for a lack of critical understanding shared by someone in the media) because your team is your team, right or wrong, regardless of streaks, slumps and general baseball circumstance, team employed broadcasters are no problem. You luvs your team. That's all that matters. But if you're the kind of baseball fan that doesn't want to be pandered to based on partisan allegiance, that doesn't want smoke blown up anyone's skirt, if you just want the facts, mama, team employees will always be vulnerable to having their continued employment held over their head. Team employee broadcasters simply can't repeatedly bust the hump of an under-performing team acquisition, least they find themselves on the outs with the peeps in suites signing his paycheque. Want an example of a formerly great broadcaster that has lost his balls now that he's being paid by the same entity that owns the home town team? Mr. Dan Shulman. Mr. Dan has evolved into the ultimate shill for the home team in his second go 'round with the Toronto Blue Jays. Utterly unable to speak truth to issues in the Jays clubhouse. Utterly incapable to saying a Jays player is struggling to live up to expectations. Dan Shulman, for all he meant to Toronto baseball broadcasting in the latter 90s and early 2000s, for all he went on to achieve nationally on ESPN, is as critical as the club's social media content creator. Such a sad media product we Jays fans are insulted with these days. Such a sad way that baseball commentating is trending.

[@lynncole7734]

It's April 14 and have been listening to broadcasts now for over 2 weeks and I love Jason's voice in the booth. I call him Mr. Smooth to CMO's Mr. Rough. Too much contrast there. You can tell Jason is an intellectual and some of his stuff is pretty 'deep' and when he interacts with Kirk Gibson is fun to watch, for me. Don't get me wrong, Gibson is NOT fun to listen to in the booth, but he is also an 'intellectual' (believe it or not) and the play between the two is interesting. Relax Jason, and don't overthink. You're just getting to know the guys on the field, don't be disingenuous, be yourself.

[@jaquandrejones]

11:35 i love Jason, but do we really still pretend the world series is a bigger stage than the super bowl? Than the nba finals? Than college football playoffs? Maybe 80 years ago lol

[@eddie-nk4jk]

Jason talks too much, redundant, thinks hes a comedian, thinks every sentence needs to be a verbal masterpiece. Instead, he needs to let the game breathe and chill out a bit. Example, the 1st question he was asked here he gave a several minute speech essentially being a judge of whos a great guy because he says so and saying he will make the broadcast cool and great.Not a fan so far.

[@dproctor1979]

There’s no way you watched the whole interview before posting this take. He addresses exactly what you are critiquing. Totally humble, self-aware, knowledgeable dude. Deeply cares about the fans and is doing what he does so we have a better experience. We are very lucky to have Jason on TV and Dan on the radio.

[@eddie-nk4jk]

@@dproctor1979 I dont like his style, everybody has their own opinions.

[@whyimsmarterthanyou]

Jerry?

[@harmonydavis6784]

I'm excited about the Tigers this year, if they could get another solid pitcher and another impact bat they could surprise a lot of people and make a run for the AL Central

[@FlippinBatsPod]

AL CENTRAL IS WIDE OPEN!

[@harmonydavis6784]

@@FlippinBatsPod Yup!!!