Well, this was unexpected. Nick Piecoro was the first to report the news that the team has decided not to renew the contract of the team’s principal play-by-play guy, Steve Berthiaume. Said team president Derrick Hall, “His contract is up and we felt it was a good time to take a step back and re-evaluate our broadcasts. He was here 14 years and was a great DBack.” It has been a while. Indeed, with fourteen seasons under his belt, he is the longest-serving broadcaster for the team, at least on the television
side [Obviously, former radio guy Greg Schulte surpasses him by quite some distance on that side, serving from the team’s start in 1998, through the 2023 World Series]
Steve took over after the Pologate “situation” with Darin Sutton, where he refused to follow the mandated dress-code. Sutton preferred a suit and tie, while the team required its broadcasters to wear branded polo shirts. We interviewed Berthiaume before the 2013 season (and part two), and it has been interesting to follow his development as a broadcaster. I think most people – likely including Berthiaume – would agree he’s better now then he was. Personally, I do prefer listening to the home broadcasts, and for me, feel that he strikes the right balance between neutrality and fandom. I’ve particularly enjoyed the relationship he has developed with color man Bob Brenly.
So no matter who takes over, it’ll be weird. You can’t spend fourteen summers in the company of someone, without it feeling kinda weird when they move on. But I can see the team’s side as well, and a desire for a fresh voice makes sense. It does seem like the D-backs might have been working towards a changing of the guard generally, with former manager Brenly seeming to cover fewer games this year, especially on the road. Which considering he is 72 years old, is perfectly understandable. I’d have better things to do with my life at that age too. So it’s possible we might see new faces on both sides of the booth at Chase Field next year.
The most obvious candidate to replace Berthiaume might be Chris Garagiola. He took over as the radio play-by-play guy for the Diamondbacks after Schulte retired, and has been a popular voice. Garagiola has on occasion stood in for Berthiaume, though of course, moving him from radio to television would only shift the position to be filled. So it’s possible we might simply see an external candidate being hired, in the same way that Berthiaume was brought in. With the broadcasts currently being produced for the team by MLB, it’s possible a broadcaster from elsewhere in the league could be considered.
So, what do you think? Who would you like to see replace Berthiaume (and possibly Brenly, though I’m fine with him staying as long as has the desire to). What are the most important characteristics you look for in a play-by-play broadcaster? Did anything grind your gears about Berthiaume? That would be what the comment section is for…
