BREAKING: Len Kasper to Leave the Cubs Booth
I can’t sugar coat this, this hurts. As Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic is reporting, Len Kasper is leaving the Chicago Cubs booth and will become the White Sox radio play-by-play man.
I expected some big departures from the Cubs this offseason, but this one came as a shocker. Sources have confirmed to The Athletic that Len Kasper is leaving the Cubs to take the White Sox radio play-by-play job. Story: https://t.co/SSBZofOoTx
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) December 4, 2020
Sharma is also reporting the leading candidate to replace Len (as if anyone could replace him) is Chris Myers.
I can handle the departure of players, that is always part of the game. But I have always been hit hard by the departure of the guys that call the game. Baseball is a romantic sport, and the guys that sweet talk you for 162 games a season are the ones that woo you and lure you in. You get comfortable with these folks, and they become trusted. You not only feel the connection to the team, but the voice that tells the story as well.
This departure is especially rough since it was unexpected. There wasn’t a whisper that this was going to happen, and while you may have had a sense that Kasper wasn’t keen on some new network rules, you didn’t think he would leave.
Reportedly, there is no ill will from Kasper towards Marquee, nor is there bad blood shared the other way around. It sounds like Kasper wanted an opportunity to call games on the radio, and this was an opportunity while staying in Chicago. Kasper has always had an affinity for the radio booth, and joining an exciting club on the Southside could present an opportunity to call a World Series game.
I would guess the lure of working for ESPN 1000’s team helps as well, as he will be a huge part of their coverage of the White Sox.
Ugh… this sucks. Huge congrats to Kasper and I wish you nothing but the best, but man… this is a bummer.
