Admit it: You'll miss Joe Buck calling the Phillies-Astros World Series on TV

How to watch the 2022 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies?

Without Joe Buck calling the game for Fox Sports, for the first time in ages.

In certain circles — big circles — this will be cause for celebration, with baseball fans rejoicing that they are finally be rid of Buck on the mike.

They’re wrong. They’re going to miss him now that he’s gone.

The World Series begins Friday at 5 p.m. Arizona time on Fox Sports — Fox 10 in metro Phoenix. The network carries the entire best-of-seven series. No, it’s not the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the New York Yankees, the matchup both Major League Baseball and Fox were salivating over.

Oh well.

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Joe Davis replaces Joe Buck as the World Series play-by-play announcer

Joe Davis will call the play-by-play action, with John Smoltz as analyst. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will be reporters.

That’s a solid lineup, Smoltz in particular.

But it’s not going to be the same without Buck. And I say this as someone who didn’t much care for his calls.

For the record, before jumping ship to “Monday Night Football” Buck called 24 of the last 26 World Series —  the 1996 Series, the 1998 Series and then every one from 2000 through 2021.

That is an exceptional run by any standard.

And a lot of people hated every single one.

Baseball used to be the national pastime. Somewhere along the line Hating Joe Buck replaced it. And there was plenty of opportunity to enjoy this activity — Buck was also the lead play-by-play announcer for Fox’s NFL games. He’s the most polarizing announcer since Howard Cosell. (Look him up. It’s worth your while.)

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Why sports fans don't like Joe Buck

It’s easy to understand why viewers don’t like Buck. He’s smug as all get out. He wears his irony on his sleeve. That works, sometimes, for football. But baseball is not an ironic game. And while I don’t think he means to come off this way, Buck has a condescending tone and manner that, if you listen to it long enough, will make you root for a network audio outage.

For all seven games, if it comes to that.

But someone must like Buck — someone with a whole lot of money to throw around. ESPN is paying him a reported $75 million for five years. Before you pull your hair out over that, relax and know that Troy Aikman, Buck’s master-of-the-bleeding obvious “Monday Night Football” broadcast partner, makes a reported $90 million for five years.

You may resume pulling your hair out.

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Buck sounds smug and arrogant, but he knows what he's talking about

And yet.

Buck actually knows what he’s talking about. It’s not what he says that drives people crazy, it’s how he says it.

Wait, that’s not entirely true. Homer fans cry foul if he criticizes any player for (your team here).

Still, it’s more his execution than his expertise that drives people crazy.

And while he gets way too Eddie Haskell way too often, he’s been doing this so long that he just sounds like postseason baseball. That may be a good thing, it may be a bad thing. But it’s undeniably true.

Even if this World Series doesn’t offer the biggest marquee matchup possible, it’s got a lot going for it. The Astros had the most wins of any team in the American League. The Phillies finished third in their division and wouldn’t have even made the playoffs if not for the expanded format this season.

Yet here we are.

It’s not exactly biblical — the Phillies have Bryce Harper, which negates any David vs. Goliath plot lines; he's just too good — but it is kind of cool.

Davis will no doubt call the games competently. (He also no doubt will engender his own hate-watch Twitter trends. For what purpose does social media exist if not to tear people down when they’re enjoying their finest moment?)

And the Series should be a good one. But — I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am — it won’t sound the same without Buck.

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How to watch the 2022 World Series on Fox

• Game 1: Phillies at Astros, 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, Fox.

• Game 2: Phillies at Astros, 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, Fox.

• Game 3: Astros at Phillies, 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31.

• Game 4: Astros at Phillies, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, Fox.

• Game 5 (if necessary): Astros at Phillies, 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, Fox.

• Game 6 (if necessary): Phillies at Astros, 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, Fox.

• Game 7 (if necessary): Phillies at Astros, 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, Fox.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: World Series 2022 hot take: You know you'll miss Joe Buck