LA Angles: ‘Santa Maria!’ Halos land new play-by-play announcers

The Angels made a big splash after adding one of baseball’s biggest personalities. Fox Sports West announced on Thursday that Matt Vasgersian will replace Victor Rojas as the Halos play-by-play announcer. Vasgersian will join Mark Gubicza and Jose Mota as part of a three-man broadcast booth.

Angels: Matt Vasgersian and Daron Sutton to be new play-by-play announcers.

Vasgersian will continue calling games on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball and MLB Network. During that time, Daron Sutton will fill-in as the Angels play-by-play man for select broadcasts.

I joke that this move is the biggest move the Angels have made, but it really is from an organizational standpoint. The same can be said for most teams in the league, given Vasgerian’s resume. He’s been one of the most well-known sports broadcasters for nearly two decades.

Vasgerisan began his MLB play-calling duties with the Brewers from 1997-2001, followed by a stint with the Padres from 2002-2008. He’s also known for his iconic calls in the video game series MLB: The Show since 2006 and became a personality for MLB Network since its debut in 2009.

An Oakland native, Vasgersian said being able to appeal for a fanbase was part of the reason he wanted to work for a big-league club once again. As a national announcer, Vasgersian doesn’t have that option as those positions are preferred to remain neutral in their calls.

“When you work for the Angels or the Padres or the Brewers, that’s the brand you’re working for,” Vasgersian said. “In my mind, it’s always the rabid fan you’re representing. … You’re supposed to root a little bit. That’s a personal philosophy. For me it’ll happen sooner rather than later because I like so many people that are in uniform with the Angels, starting with Joe (Maddon) in the dugout.”

Vasgersian says it will be a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ figuring out how much he can do with his current schedule. He also says it’s possible Sutton will call more games this season.

Son of the late Hall of Famer Don Sutton, Daron previously worked as a play-by-play radio announcer for the Halos in 2000-2001, and most recently in television for the Brewers and Diamondbacks. Sutton spent a large part of his youth in Orange County during his father’s playing days in Anaheim.

“I never thought I’d get a chance to come home, to work for my favorite team,” Sutton said. “I was a kid from up the freeway, but when I fell in love with baseball, at a formidable age, my father was an Angel. And I’ve been an Angels fan ever since.”

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Vasgersian says his first call with the Angels will be in the regular season, while Sutton may debut in spring training.