Joe Davis needs to reconsider his interest in the Detroit Tigers’ play-by-play job. For many reasons.

You may have heard the Tigers and Fox Sports Detroit currently have an open chair — maybe even two — in their television broadcast booth. That chair would suit Davis quite well.

Plenty of Tigers fans have heard of Davis. He’s a Potterville High graduate and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ play-by-play announcer for Spectrum SportsNet LA.

Davis just finished his third season on the job — his second since Vin Scully retired after 2016 — and on Sunday he told Free Press reporter Dave Birkett he’s not interested in the Tigers job.

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“A few years ago, definitely would have been interested,” Davis said. “But we’re really happy in L.A. So that’s a no.”

Davis and his wife, Libby, are both Michigan natives. They discussed the possibility of the Tigers job when it came open in September after Mario Impemba and Rod Allen were involved in a chair-related altercation. Davis admitted “it could be a special position where whoever gets it, the right fit can be there for a really long time.”

The Davises like their situation. They have two young children and recently bought a house in South Pasadena, which Davis said is “a community that feels like the Midwest.” And he gets to moonlight doing broadcasts of national baseball, NFL and college games for Fox. He did Sunday’s Lions-Bills game, where Birkett caught up with him.

Believe it or not, I’m uniquely qualified to offer Davis a little career advice. I know all about Detroit, the Dodgers and L.A. I grew up a Dodgers fan, I worked in Pasadena, I have friends who work for the Dodgers and I even have relatives who live in South Pas. (Yep, that’s what’s it called.)

I’ve also listened to probably more than 100 of Davis’ broadcasts since he joined the Dodgers. And I would strongly suggest that if the Tigers come calling, Davis should consider the job because he has a chance to carve out his own “special position” with the team and the city. That’s something he will never do while living in Scully’s giant shadow his entire career in L.A.

No one expected Davis to try to fill Scully’s shoes. He hasn’t and he wisely hasn’t tried. Davis has adequate skills, but he isn’t exceptional — at least not yet. It’s not a completely fair comparison, but if you listened to him call Sunday’s Lions game, ask yourself this: Was there anything that stood out about his style?

Davis is only 31, so he has time to grow. He has time to develop his style, to hone his banter, to learn how to imbue big moments with gravitas. But in L.A., he might feel incumbered from doing that. In fact, I can see the Dodgers’ reason for hiring him. He was so out of left field, so different from Scully in his age and approach, that no one would compare the two. Eventually, Dodgers fans will start to make those comparisons and no matter what Davis does, he will fall way short.

In Detroit, Davis would have a chance to be himself more. He has a little edge and sometimes speaks in youthful vernacular — which would be a unique departure from Detroit’s other veteran TV announcers. His cheerful manner and clean-cut look embody youthful vigor. He would be hailed as a local kid — though he grew up as a Chicago Cubs fan — who has done good and is coming home.

If you think it’s a no-brainer for Davis to stay in sunny L.A. and work for a perennial contender, think again. In a year or two, the Dodgers won’t look the same. Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen are on the downside of their careers and Justin Turner is 34. Plus, once the postseason arrives, the local TV guys ride the bench.

I grew up in L.A. and I love the place. But living in Detroit for nearly 20 years has made me see my hometown differently. L.A. has a lot of cultural diversity, but it lacks a unifying culture or ethos like Michigan's Midwestern values that stem from deep roots. The homes in South Pas might mimic a traditional Midwestern neighborhood, but it’s entirely part of L.A.’s transient and image-obsessed lifestyle.

In L.A., Davis has a decent analyst to work with in former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser. Part-time analyst Nomar Garciaparra isn’t very good, but Davis at least seems to have better banter and rapport with him. If the Tigers threw enough money at Davis and let him pick his analyst, I think that would be a tough offer for him to pass up.

I don’t know what Davis’ career ambitions are. Maybe he wants to be a network top dog like Jim Nantz or Joe Buck. If so, he could still work toward that in Detroit. But if he’s committed to climbing the Fox ladder, it might be better to stay in L.A., since the network is headquartered there.

I was about Davis’ age when I moved from L.A. to Detroit. I found a city with a tightly knit cultural fabric and some of the most passionate, dyed-in-the-wool sports fans I’ve ever known, putting L.A.’s fair-weather fans to shame.

But I get it. It can’t be easy for Davis to leave a successful job in L.A. In fact, it might be the hardest call he’ll ever make.

Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

Chat Tigers with Anthony Fenech at noon Thursday on freep.com.

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