Yesterday was a shocking day for many White Sox fans. What seems like out of nowhere, it was reported that Jason Benetti would be leaving the White Sox television booth and would take the same position with the Detroit Tigers. Many figured that at some point, Jason was going to leave to do a full-time national gig, but for him to leave and go to the same position with a division rival hurts even more.
Jason and Steve Stone made up one of the best baseball broadcast groups, if not the best. Through the horrible seasons of the last few years, they made it enjoyable. This is a sad day for many Sox fans everywhere. It is unclear who will take over as the play-by-play voice of the Sox, but will likely not be anyone that is as fun as Jason is.
To make matters worse, on 670 The Score, Dan Bernstein was discussing one of the reasons why Jason left the organization. Bernstein said “Jerry (Reinsdorf) doesn’t like his broadcasting … He doesn’t think he’s funny. He’s wrong about that, because he’s objectively hilarious.” Wow. If that is true, that is another mistake in a long line of mistakes for Jerry Reinsdorf.
Bernstein is right, Benetti is a funny guy and was a great addition to the Sox broadcasting booth. He and Steve Stone have a great back and for that is enjoyable for anyone tuning in. Clearly, a majority of the broadcasting world agrees with us, as Benetti has worked with ESPN, CBS, and NBC Sports in addition to the White Sox. He has covered college football, college basketball, and even filled in on Chicago Bulls games. Another thing that Jerry Reinsdorf is just plain wrong about.
Now, there are always rumors when something like this happens. People speculate and some people make up stuff to create a discussion online. But, after getting to Detriot, Jason’s comments seem to back up what Bernstein was saying.
In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Benetti discussed the move from Chicago to Detroit. He explained how moving from Chicago to Syracuse for college was one of the hardest decisions in his life, but it worked out for him in the end because that was the right place for him. He analogizes the move from Chicago to Detroit in the same way.
Benetti said: when I got to Detroit “I was surrounded by people who want to be so extraordinarily great and forward-thinking, and do this in a smart and analytical way that is just beyond the scope of anything I would have expected in terms of what they also want from their television announcer.”
He continued on:
“They want somebody that is going to think about the game from all facets and they want somebody that is going to have a good time every once in a while, whose dad jokes will be terrible frequently, they want somebody who…, they wanted me, and I wanted them just as much.”
These comments shed even more light on Bernstein’s comments. I believe it. It is always Jerry’s way or the highway. To give more credit, in Benetti’s farewell tweet, he only thanked the White Sox fans, not the organization in any capacity. While he is grateful for the opportunity the White Sox gave him that allowed him to fulfill his dream, clearly he didn’t want to leave the city he loves the most. This is what happens when you have an incompetent owner who doesn’t care about the fans.
He loves Chicago and will miss it deeply. We will miss him too, as he did a fantastic job in the booth for us over eight years. Best of luck in the future, Jason!
