Scott Franzke back calling Phillies games on WIP, while NBC Sports Philadelphia adds a familiar face

Scott Franzke has long been the voice of summer across the Delaware Valley.

The calm and reassuring Phillies radio announcer is entering his 20th season with the team, bringing the game to fans wherever they may be, whether that’s working in the garage, running errands on a Sunday afternoon, or resting on the beach down the Shore.

Franzke fell in love with the radio as a kid growing up in Texas listening to Rangers games. He landed a job with the team as a pre- and postgame host, but he wanted to do play-by-play and had no path to move up with the Rangers. So Franzke packed his bags and took a job with the Phillies when Tom McCarthy, then the team’s radio announcer, left to take a role with the New York Mets in 2006.

“The first year was just two innings a night,” before he fully replaced Scott Graham in the booth in 2007, Franzke said. Over that time, Franzke has had his share of memorable calls, from Roy Halladay’s perfect game in 2010 (“Halladay is mobbed at the mound as the Phillies celebrate perfection tonight in Miami!”) to his iconic “Bedlam at the Bank” line following Bryce Harper’s go-ahead home run in Game 5 of the 2022 National League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres, which propelled the Phillies to the World Series.

Unlike McCarthy, who also calls NFL and college basketball games, Franzke doesn’t do any announcing outside of the Phillies — “I’m quite comfortable not working,” Franzke said jokingly. He’s also content to remain on radio and hasn’t sought a TV job calling games for a simple reason — the way MLB’s TV deals are structured, only local radio broadcasters get to call the team’s playoff games.

“If I had come to the Phillies and they hadn’t gone to the playoffs five out of my first six years and I didn’t get the chance to experience what that’s like to do playoff baseball, I might have been quicker to give up and go try TV somewhere,” Franzke said. “Some of my fondest professional memories are in those days.”

Once again, Franzke will split his time with two analysts, including longtime broadcast partner Larry Andersen, who is recovering from surgery but expected to call nearly every home series. Former Phillies shortstop Kevin Stocker is also back to do road games and one home series a month.

“Larry and Stock are different people, but my approach remains the same — I try to be me, and I try to get them to be them,” Franzke said. “For instance, Stocker is going to be more inclined to look at newer stats and metrics utilized today. That’s not who Larry is, so why bother going there … unless I’m trying to get Larry to make a joke.”

There aren’t any major changes at NBC Sports Philadelphia, either. Tom McCarthy is back, entering his 19th season on television with the Phillies. He’ll be joined by a familiar crew of rotating analysts that includes former Phillies first baseman John Kruk, ex-general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

Michael Barkann is back as the host of the network’s pre- and postgame coverage, joined again by Ricky Bottalico and Ben Davis. Taryn Hatcher also will be back to report from the stadium during certain games.

The one new addition is former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, who will join the booth a handful of times to call games. The four-time All-Star and 2008 World Series MVP made his broadcasting debut during spring training and is expected to call one home game a month as a third announcer, similar to Schmidt.

“It was a lot, but it was great,” Hamels told McCarthy after calling his first game on March 17.

Hamels’ first regular-season game in the booth is scheduled to be April 20, when the Phillies host the Miami Marlins. He’ll call the game alongside McCarthy and Amaro.

The Phillies’ season opener against the Washington Nationals on Thursday will air at 4:05 p.m. on NBC10, called by McCarthy and Kruk. Ten Phillies games are scheduled to air on NBC10, and they also will air in Spanish on Telemundo62.

NBC Sports Philadelphia will televise 149 of the Phillies’ 162 games, with seven on NBC Sports Philadelphia+, although that could change if the Phillies once again are contenders late in the season.

While the status quo continues on NBC Sports Philadelphia, it’s the end of an era for ESPN, which is entering its final season televising MLB games.

The Phillies are scheduled to appear four times on Sunday Night Baseball, beginning with their April 27 matchup against the Chicago Cubs. Karl Ravech, David Cone, and Eduardo Pérez are back to call games, with Buster Olney once again reporting from the stands.

Former Phillies manager Joe Girardi, currently an analyst for the YES Network in New York, will join Philly fan favorite Joe Buck for ESPN’s opening-day matchup Thursday between the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers. Also calling the game will be veteran Brewers announcer Bill Schroeder.

ESPN and MLB are parting ways after being in business together for 35 years, dating back to the 1990 season. ESPN wanted to rework its reported $550 million contract with MLB after the league signed a bargain-basement $10 million deal with Roku, but MLB refused. In a blistering memo sent to owners, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred described ESPN as a “shrinking platform,” an insult ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said caught him “by surprise.”

“To be honest with you, I don’t know where they stand. They made some statements once we opted out that were not flattering,” Pitaro told The Athletic. “We’re grown-ups. We’re unemotional. You kind of grin and bear it and you move on from that.”

Fox is back with its Saturday package, featuring a mix of afternoon and evening games that also spill over onto FS1. The Phillies are scheduled to appear on Fox’s regionalized coverage eight times, beginning with their game against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 5.

One new wrinkle this season is the ability to stream in-market Phillies games without needing a cable subscription.

Phillies fans have two options. The first is Peacock, where subscribers can purchase an add-on that will stream every Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers game that is shown locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The plan is on the pricey side at $24.95 a month plus whatever you pay for Peacock, where the least-expensive plan runs $7.99 a month.

Another option is to stream games directly through MLB.TV, which is partnering with NBC to provide Phillies games in-market without a cable subscription. MLB’s plan runs $24.99 a month and only provides Phillies games, but it’ll save you about $8 if you don’t need to watch the Sixers or Flyers.

Even if you plan to watch the Phillies on TV, you’ll still need to pay a few streaming services if you plan on watching every game this season.

Apple TV+ is back with its Friday Night Baseball package, which features an exclusive weekly doubleheader. The Phillies are scheduled to appear twice during the first half of the season, including their April 4 game against the Dodgers. A subscription to Apple TV+ runs $9.99 a month, but there is a free seven-day trial.

There’s also a workaround. Thanks to Apple’s deal with DirecTV, Phillies games will be televised at bars and restaurants that already use the satellite service. Just call ahead to make sure your drinking hole of choice is actually showing the game.

Apple is bringing back the same broadcast crew, which includes pitcher-turned-analyst Dontrelle Willis, who signed with the Phillies in 2012 but made just three Grapefruit League appearances. Also returning is Apple’s pre- and postgame show, hosted by Lauren Gardner alongside Xavier Scruggs and Russell Dorsey. MLB Network host Siera Santos will join Apple’s studio coverage for some games.

Then there is Roku, which took over Peacock’s package of Sunday morning games last season. On the bright side, the Roku Channel is free (you don’t even need to create an account to watch) and the Phillies aren’t scheduled to make their Sunday Leadoff debut until Aug. 17 against the Nationals.

Unlike Apple, Roku doesn’t have its own stable of announcers. As it did last season, Roku will pull from existing local broadcast teams for its coverage, pairing announcers from both teams.