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.

Jay Mariotti Is Transparent

So the general consensus in Chicago about the White Sox hiring Steve Stone to join their radio booth is that it's a good move. I've already made clear my approval and everybody I've talked to about it thinks it's similiarly great.

Sox fans would have been thrilled to hear the news they were finally free of Chris Singleton, and the fact that Stoney is replacing him is just icing on the cake.

Cubs fans have even told me that they're going to have to start listening to Sox games.

Everybody's happy! Even our old friend Jay Mariotti, though Mariotti is a fan of the move for completely different reasons.

In his column today, Jay writes about how he hopes Stoney will tear the entire White Sox franchise down.

So what happens when a fearless, incisive radio analyst is hired by a franchise with a crybaby owner, a volcanic manager, a brooding general manager, a long- winded radio partner, a hillbilly homer in the TV booth, a media-obsessed catcher and a hypersensitive fan base always searching for an enemy?

Seems all hell will break loose, as it often does in Steve Stone's world of truth, justice and calling out wretched baseball as wretched baseball.

Mariotti is right about one thing, Stone isn't afraid to speak his mind on what he thinks he's watching. After all, that is why he's no longer calling Cubs games after he ripped on the team a few years ago.

Unfortunately, Jay is off in his assumption that the team is going to revolt against Stone like the Cubs did.

Why would Ozzie Guillen care what Stone says? When the Sox suck, Ozzie is telling anybody who will listen about how bad the team is. Are we really supposed to believe he'll give a shit what anybody in the booth is saying?

Then there are those "hypersensitive fans always searching for an enemy." Um, Jay? While we'll ignore the "hypersensitive" comments, I feel the need to tell you we're not searching for an enemy. We have one, and we've had him for a while.

It's you, jackass.

Let's be honest here, Jay. The only reason you wrote about Steve Stone was as cover for what you really wanted the column to be about:

It will happen because Stone is unblushingly honest in his daily appraisals, contrary to Reinsdorf's other broadcasters, who are so fearful of the chairman's wrath -- or so far up his hind-end -- that they become pathetic weasels who somehow tip-toed over a 72-90 stinker last season. Harrelson, in particular, has become the biggest embarrassment in the industry, a shameless shill who keeps his job only because he gushes over Reinsdorf at every opportunity and does the chairman's dirty work by hurling pebbles at real and perceived enemies of Soxdom, which only paints the organization as amateurish and low-brow.

We get it. You don't like them.

Next time you're itching to use your column to take a few digs at Ozzie, Hawk Harrelson, and Jerry Reinsdorf, just write about how much you hate them. Forget the bullshit angles.

Steve Stone Is Back

Okay, so it's looking like March 4th is the best day of 2008 so far. At least it is for White Sox fans. Not only did Brett Favre announce his retirement this morning, but Chris Singleton has apparently left the White Sox radio booth to go do some Baseball Tonight work at ESPN. (Why am I not surprised that ESPN would hire Singleton? He's incredibly boring and has trouble completing sentences at time. It's basically a perfect fit.)

His replacement? Steve Stone.

This is amazing news because listening to Chris Singleton on the radio with Ed Farmer was intolerable. They were horrible together.

Stone was already slotted to be doing a few games in the radio booth with Farmer and Singleton this season, but it's now going to be a full time job, and I couldn't be happier about it. I've never made a secret of my fondness for Steve Stone, even though he called Cubs games. He was the main reason I even watched Cubs games growing up, well, besides the fact that I didn't have cable in my room as a kid, and there was also the possibility of seeing the Cubs lose.

Now if only we could convince ESPN to hire Darrin Jackson away, and we could move Stoney into the television booth with Hawk Harrelson.

Jay Mariotti Is Tired Of Rick Morrissey

So I sat down at the computer this morning set to write about one of two things. I was either going to write about the Donovan McNabb situation in Philly, and whether or not I thought it was a realistic possibility the Bears would get him in the offseason and whether or not it would mean anything. Or I was going to do something different and write about hockey. More specifically, Chris Simon's latest suspension from the NHL, and why in the hell the league just doesn't kick him out.

Then I was doing my morning reading and I saw the title of one of Mariotti's online blogs....um..I mean online columns. Jay wouldn't stoop to blogging!

Anyway, the title of this column was "Tribune Is Stalking Me!" and it immediately grabbed my attention. Remember a few months ago when I accused Jay of stealing a joke from me? Well now it seems that Jay is dealing with his own column poacher, the Chicago Tribune's Rick Morrissey.

The Bears wear navy blue, orange and white, right? Now that I've written it, a Tribune columnist is sure to claim different team colors -- say, aqua and mauve. I've seen some peculiar things in the media business, but nothing quite like the work in recent weeks of Rick Morrissey.

Realize that I've been stalked by serial e-mailers. And Ditkaphiles. And Hawk Harrelson. Now, I'm being stalked by a Tribster.

It started in late October, when I wrote that the Bulls should aggressively seek Kobe Bryant in a trade. Days later, Morrissey came back with the contrarian view: ``Bulls don't need Kobe Bryant.'' I thought little of it, just as I thought little of it when the same guy -- after my repeated midseason opinions that Cedric Benson is a bust and the Bears miss Thomas Jones -- wrote a piece headlined, ``Former Bear Jones a legend in other minds.''

Jay then goes on to point out at least four other times this month alone that Morrissey's column has seemed to be a retort to whatever Jay wrote the previous day.

Now this may come as a shock to you, but Jay is right. I've noticed it myself over the last few weeks. To make things even scarier, Mariotti said something else I completely agree with about Morrissey and the Tribune.

As I've said for years, the Trib should have hired Michael Wilbon when it had the chance -- or never should have let Lincicome, Verdi and Bayless go. Those gentlemen seemed to develop opinions without reading the Sun-Times first.

Okay, so I agree with the part about Wilbon anyway. I'm fine leading a Skip Bayless-less existence.

Though, unlike Mariotti, I'm a fan of what Morrissey is doing. I've never been a big fan of his column, but it's always nice to see other members of the Chicago media call Jay out for some of the things he says.

Sure, there are plenty of bloggers and blogs dedicated to doing the same thing, but they don't get nearly as much exposure as fellow newspaper columnists do.

That and a bitch fight between two columnists is always fun to follow. I wonder if Morrissey will respond. I hope he does.

Foul Balls

This Whole Chris Simon Thing - Okay, so the NHL has suspended Chris Simon for his latest incident, deliberately stepping on the foot of Pittsburgh's Jarrko Ruutu with his skate. As though he was trying to cut it off.



Now at first glance this doesn't seem like something worthy of an NHL record 30-game suspension. Of course, this suspension breaks the previous record of 25 games. Set by Chris Simon for this incident.



That's New York's Ryan Hollweg who felt the wrath of Simon. So, as you can see, this isn't Simon's first foray into the world of criminal action during a hockey game. I've never been one of those people who think that they need to remove all fighting elements from the game of hockey, because I've always felt it was an important part of the game, but how the NHL can let a guy like Simon continue to lace up and skate for anybody baffles me.

Maybe after he finally kills somebody, Gary Bettman will decide to take a stand.

Listening To The White Sox Lose Just Got A Lot Easier - Finally, the White Sox have done something this offseason that I approve of. Of course, even though I approve of it, doesn't mean I'm completely happy with it.

Still, I'll take as much Steve Stone as I can get.

Steve Stone will be calling baseball games in Chicago next year, though that news comes with a few buts …

But it won't be full time. But it won't be on television. But he won't be doing it for the Cubs.

Stone has agreed to join Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton on WSCR-AM 670 on the call for White Sox home games on Fridays in 2008. There will be 13 in all, including the June 27 game against the Cubs.

It's only for 13 games, and it will only be on the radio, but I'll take it. After Stone filled in for Darrin Jackson on Sox television broadcasts last season, I wrote that I wished Stone could come to the Sox on a full-time basis. I mean, he actually made Hawk's homerism tolerable, which is something that only a select few can do.

If it's only meant to be on radio though, I can live with it. If nothing else this may be the next step into getting him into a White Sox booth full time, which will make every 9-7 loss a lot easier to listen to.

Bob Brenly Likes Cincinnati

As of right now Bob Brenly is the color commentator on Chicago Cubs broadcasts. As for what he may be doing at this time next season, that's still up in the air. The Cincinnati Reds are in town for a series with the Cubs, and at the moment they have an interim manager in Pete Mackanin.

The Reds are 19-16 under Mackanin, but that doesn't mean the team is interested in keeping him around full time. They want a manager who has more experience, and Bob Brenly has that, along with a World Series ring from his days managing the Diamondbacks.

Much like the Reds are interested in Brenly, Brenly is interested in them.

Former Arizona manager Bob Brenly, now working as a Chicago Cubs television analyst, said he has not heard from anyone from the Reds about their managerial opening.

But he would be interested.

"You're always interested," he said. "I'm an Ohio boy. I went to college in Ohio. I grew up as a fan of the Big Red Machine."

I have nothing against the Ohio boy, in fact I like him in the booth, but at the same time I really hope this happens.

Not because I want the Reds to win, and not because I want Bob Brenly to get another shot. Nope, I want it because that would mean there's an opening in the Cubs broadcast booth.

You know who would be a great choice to fill that spot? Well, here's a hint. He just spent last week in the White Sox television booth, and he's the guy that Brenly replaced.

Steve Stone.

Stone lost his job because of rough relations between him, Andy MacPhail, and Dusty Baker. Now the Cubs are under new management, Baker is gone, and next season they may be owned by one of Stone's close friends, John Canning Jr. All of which makes for a perfect opportunity to bring Stone back into the Cubs booth.

Sure, I'd rather have Stone in the White Sox booth, but as long as he's on a television in this town, I'll be happy.

So please, Bob. If the Reds offer you the job, take it and don't look back.

Steve Stone Going Back to the Cubs?

Steve Stone has already given White Sox fans the blessing of getting to hear him in the broadcast booth next week, and he may be on the verge of giving Cubs fans everything they want as well.

There's a possibility that when the new ownership takes over the Cubs, Stone might be getting a front-office job with the team.

And for those hoping to see a Steve Stone return to Wrigley Field perhaps in a front-office capacity, which constitutes a huge percentage of Cubs fans, all-world restaurateur Rich Melman’s name has been linked with John Canning for months. Melman and Stone go back to the mid-’70s.

“All I know is the difference between me and all the names on that list is they all have a (boat)-load of money,’’ Stone laughed. “I assume that to be a part of that ownership group you have to have a minimum amount of capital that I probably wouldn’t accumulate in several lifetimes.

“I can see why you’d make an assumption because Richard and I have such a lengthy relationship, but there are a lot of groups involved and the process is long and cautious, and I’m merely an interested observer like everyone else.

“I think any number of groups are in for the long haul, and many of them are extremely qualified.’’

When you realize that there is just no way in hell Mark Cuban will ever be able to buy the team, this seems like the next best thing. As a long time fan of Steve Stone, I haven't come across many people whose opinion on the game I respect more than Stone's.

I've even thought that he would be a perfect replacement for Bud Selig when he finally steps down as commissioner.

The only negative about Stone taking a job with the Cubs is we won't get to hear him on the radio anymore.

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.