Showing posts with label Len Kasper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Len Kasper. Show all posts

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Catching up on some White Sox news and notes

Lucas Giolito
I've been in a busy stretch at my real job recently, so I haven't had the chance to write about baseball much. 

Any of the things below probably could have been a blog entry, but for the sake of time, I'll just bullet point some of the recent White Sox news and notes:

  • The Sox avoided arbitration with ace pitcher Lucas Giolito by agreeing to terms on a one-year, $4.15 million contract. Barring injury, we'll see Giolito on the mound Opening Day.
  • The Sox also avoided arbitration with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez by agreeing to terms on a one-year, $2.1 million contract. Lopez will be pitching for his job in the spring -- he is projected to compete with Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech for the last two spots in the starting rotation.
  • The Sox finalized a contract with right-hander Liam Hendriks. The terms are exactly what we described earlier in the week. Hendriks will be the closer this season.
  • The international signing period began Jan. 15, and as expected, the Sox signed Cuban outfielder Yoelqui Céspedes for $2.05 million. They also signed Cuban right-hander Norge Vera for $1.5 million.
  • Connor McKnight has been hired to host pregame and postgame shows on ESPN 1000 AM. McKnight will fill in on radio broadcasts with Darrin Jackson when Len Kasper is doing TV work on NBC Sports Chicago. He also will host "White Sox Weekly," which is a one-hour program that airs at 9 a.m. Saturdays on 1000 AM. That show will expand to two hours when the season begins.

OK, I think we're up to date.


Friday, December 4, 2020

Len Kasper named White Sox radio play-by-play announcer

Here's the biggest surprise of the offseason so far: Longtime Cubs TV announcer Len Kasper is moving to the South Side. He will become the radio play-by-play voice of the White Sox on ESPN 1000.

Kasper will join Darrin Jackson as the permanent replacement for Ed Farmer, who died April 1 at age 70. Andy Masur filled in throughout the 2020 season, and I figured he was the front-runner for the job. 

Not so. Turns out, Kasper says he sought the Sox out because he's always wanted to work on the radio. Interesting. 

The general rule of thumb is TV jobs are better and more high profile than radio jobs, and certainly, there are few TV gigs more high profile than the Cubs. But hey, if Kasper wants to work on the radio, welcome to the South Side, Len!

Sox fans have said for years that the radio booth could benefit from a true play-by-play voice, and Kasper is that. I can't say that I have a strong feeling about Kasper's ability one way or the other -- I don't watch many Cubs games -- but I do like that the Sox are adding an experienced broadcaster to their booth.

It's better than hiring a former player, or some other "Reinsdorf favorite" for the job. Like most Sox fans, I look forward to the day when the phrase "Reinsdorf favorite" is put into retirement.

In any case, Kasper won't exclusively do radio work. We'll see him in the TV booth on NBC Sports Chicago for 20 to 25 games a season. He'll fill in alongside Jason Benetti when Steve Stone takes a few games off.

Kasper and Benetti are friends, and word is they will be creating "several multimedia projects" throughout the year. Not sure what that means, but I'm intrigued, and I'll be listening. It sounds as though Kasper and Benetti are planning to start a podcast as well. Once again, I'll be listening.

And I guess that's the point, to get people to listen, right?