NEW YORK (AP) -David Wells figures people are already taking bets on how long before he slips and uses a profanity on air in his new baseball analyst gig with TBS.
“That’s something that’s not going to happen,” Wells said, before quickly adding, “at least I hope not. I’m going to conduct myself in a good fashion.”
The former pitcher known for his big physique and big mouth was polite and profanity-free during a conference call Tuesday. But his bosses at Turner Sports don’t want him too tame. They’d love if he became the baseball version of another employee, Charles Barkley, mastering that fine line between colorful and crude.
“We know that David is very outspoken,” executive producer Jeff Behnke said. “We also know that David has an enormous amount of credibility. We take a lot of pride in letting our announcers be who they are.”
he Turner officials he met during NBA All-Star weekend. He missed baseball after pitching his last game in 2007.
“But I never thought in a million years I’d be in the booth,” Wells said.
“You know me and the media, we never saw eye to eye – or at least I fought you guys every chance I’d get,” he added. “Sure, I probably said a lot of harsh things. But a lot of harsh things were said about me, as well. … Now that I’m quote-unquote part of the media world, you’ve got to understand it.”
The 45-year-old Wells will serve as a commentator for some Sunday regular-season games. He’ll also work in the studio during TBS’s playoff coverage.
His first appearance will be May 3 for the Red Sox-Rays game. On May 17, he’ll call the Twins-Yankees game on the anniversary of his perfect game for New York in a meeting of the same teams.
And what if Wells says something inappropriate on air? He expects his bosses “will let me know real quick,” and he’ll learn from it.
“Trust me, I’ve made many mistakes in my life and gotten through it,” Wells said. “I think I’ll be able to handle this.”
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