Steve Stone and Darrin Jackson May Be Switching Jobs

Ever since the White Sox hired Steve Stone to replace Chris Singleton in the radio booth before this season, I've had my fingers crossed that it was just the first step to having Stone in the television booth for Sox games. I remember when he filled in for Darrin Jackson for a series last season, and for three games at least, the White Sox broadcast team was actually a joy to listen to.

I've already gone over my feelings about Hawk Harrelson here the last few years, and while I enjoy him, I've also had my complaints. Still, when Stone was in the booth I started to realize that it wasn't so much Hawk by himself as it was Hawk being paired with Darrin Jackson.

On their own with other partners, Hawk and D.J. would be pretty good, but together it doesn't really work. Really, they're the same person up there. Neither provides any real analysis of anything that's going on, they both get quiet for periods of time, and they generally agree on everything.

Of course, the reason for this is probably that Jackson learned on the job by calling games with Hawk, so it's not surprising that he picked up a lot of his tendencies. It's a lot like kids growing up with their parents, and sharing the same mannerisms.

Well it looks like D.J. may be leaving the nest soon, though it's not by his choice.

The Sox hold an option on Jackson, and they don't plan to let him know their intentions until late in the season or after the season, when they're obliged to do so contractually.

"Common sense lets you know that obviously if they want you back, they would have already picked your option up," Jackson said Tuesday in the Sox's dugout at U.S. Cellular Field. "And if they wanted you back for a long time, they would have given you a long-term contract. But that doesn't mean none of that's going to happen. It still could."

Sure, it could. But there's a reason the Sox are biding their time, and two industry sources with knowledge of the situation say it's an obvious one: Steve Stone.

If Stone doesn't join a Cubs ownership group, the Sox would strongly consider moving him from their radio booth to TV to pair him with Hawk Harrelson. That could open a radio position for Jackson alongside Ed Farmer.

Obviously, I'd be all for this move. Having Stone in the television booth is what I've wanted since he first came to the south side, and if that means D.J. has to go to the radio booth with Farmer, so be it. I used to love listening to the Sox radio broadcasts when Farmer was paired up with John Rooney. Rooney left after the Sox won the World Series in 2005, after he couldn't come to terms with the Sox new radio home at the Score, and got a job with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Then Chris Singleton came in, and listening to the Sox on the radio the next two years was damn near impossible for me. Singleton was horrible (though in his defense, he was learning on the job just like D.J.), and he brought Farmer down with him. This season Farmer was teamed with Stone, and the radio became my preferred method of listening to Sox games once again.

D.J. has been doing the job long enough now that an adjustment to calling games on the radio should be an easy one for him to make, so I think a Farmer-Jackson radio tandem could be good.

Still, the biggest prize would still be having Stone in the booth with Hawk, because Stone can counterbalance Hawk. First of all, when Hawk goes into one of his storytelling moods, Stone has been around the game long enough to where he actually knows the people (and I don't mean knows who they are, I mean knows them) and contributes to the stories. Plus, while Hawk sits there and complains about a bad call, Stone would just agree or disagree with him before telling us something about the actual game being played.

He provides an insight that we just don't get with Hawk and D.J. Remember, both of them played in the game, but they were hitters. Stone was a pitcher, and can actually give us a look into the mind of the pitcher as he's preparing to throw each pitch.

Think about it, how many times have you been listening to Steve Stone when he was with the Cubs, working for ESPN, or now in the radio booth and he's told you what's going to happen before it happens?

"If he throws a slider low and away right here, this at bat is over."

Next pitch comes, slider low and away, and the batter is down on strikes. Stone does this all the time. I can't tell you how much more enjoyable it is to listen to a person call a game when you actually believe they know what they're talking about.

So let's all hope this actually happens.

Great Moments In White Sox Television Broadcasting: Hawk's Erection

Okay, so I'm watching the White Sox and Rays game and during the 4th inning Hawk and D.J. got into a discussion about base stealing in the minors compared to the Majors. Well, D.J. explained that while he was a base stealing threat in the minors, by the time he got to the Majors he'd lost his knack for swiping a base.

Here's a transcript of part of their exchange.

D.J.: If you don't use it, you lose it.

Hawk: I wish you'd stop saying that.

D.J.: Well, I know that it affects you personally (snicker).

Yes, that's right, they made a reference to Hawk's (in)ability to get an erection. Apparently, he gone.

Now if you don't mind me, I'm going to go kill myself.

Steve Stone Is Returning to the South Side

I don't mean to say anything negative about Len Kasper and Bob Brenly, in fact I like them both very much, but I do miss the days when Steve Stone was doing the color commentary in the Cubs booth. He's just so good at it. Whether it was all the years he spent translating Harry for all of us, or the few seasons he spent making Chip Caray somewhat tolerable, he's always been good at his job.

Now it looks as though he'll be returning to the television booth in Chicago. As a substitute. For the White Sox.

With TV analyst Darrin Jackson set to miss games in early August for the birth of his child, the Sox will summon that old right-hander, Steve Stone, to partner with Hawk Harrelson.

"It's very exciting to get the chance to call baseball games again," Stone said. "I thought my career had ended when high-def came in."

Awesome.

Jackson is expected to be gone for about a week in early August as his wife is due to have a baby on August 6th. That means the Sox homestand from August 7-12 is probably going to have Stone in his place.

What makes this even better? Well Chris Singleton's contract to do color on Sox radio broadcasts ends after this season, and it's very likely he won't get a new one, allowing Stone to join the White Sox radio booth.

It's the little things like this we must hold on to and cherish during these tough times. Hope! Precious, precious hope.

Hawk Probably Feels Kinda Dumb Today

If you're like me and you watched the Sox/Cubs game yesterday on Comcast instead of WGN, you were probably a bit confused as to what was going in the 8th inning.

While they were busy showing replays of Juan Uribe obstructing Angel Pagan on the basepaths over at WGN, they never once showed a replay of it on Comcast. Apparently nobody ever told Hawk or DJ either.

The question has come up whether or not Hawk and DJ should issue an apology to Joe West before tonight's Sox game. I think they should.

Personally my favorite part of the entire thing is when Hawk blows up after Ozzie gets ejected, and then after the game you read about how Ozzie asked West to throw him out.

Crew chief Joe West said Guillen acted like a gentleman and did not use profanity, but asked to be thrown out of the game."You can't blame him. It was a messed-up play that you don't see very often. Uribe is not known for trying to cheat or get in somebody's way, but it happens," West said. "He got two outs and he ended up getting no outs and that's why Ozzie said, 'You're just going to have to run me.'"

I thought it was obvious that's what happened seeing as how Ozzie wasn't arguing or yelling, but I guess Hawk was too busy wondering what the hell was going on. It's not completely his fault. Did he overreact? Yes, but there probably should have been somebody in his ear letting him know what was going on. It's obvious nobody told him.