'I have always wanted to be in the big leagues': Sox pick Schriffen to call games on NBC Sports
Looking for a television play-by-play broadcaster since Jason Benetti unplugged and joined the Detroit Tigers in early November, the White Sox announced his replacement Thursday.
John Schriffen agreed to a mulityear contract and he'll call games on NBC Sports Chicago alongside analyst Steve Stone.
The 39-year-old Schriffen currently broadcasts major league, college basketball, football, softball and baseball games for ESPN, along with NBA G-League and Summer League games.
He's also called weekend MLB national games for ESPN radio and Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) games.
Schriffen is still open to doing some side work, but he's anxious to devote most of his broadcast energies to the White Sox.
“The timing is right for me because I have done so many things in the course of my career in broadcasting,” he said on a Zoom call. “The next step for me is to join a team, get to know the team better and really join a community and move to Chicago.”
Taking over for a talented and popular broadcaster like Benetti is a tall order, but Schriffen said he is well prepared to join the Sox's booth.
“I have always wanted to be in the big leagues,” he said. “When I was a little kid my dream was always to be a major-league baseball player. To be able to get here eventually as a broadcaster is really coming full circle for me.”
Schriffen met with Stone and White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in Phoenix last weekend to seal the deal.
“When you look at what Jerry has done for this organization, he's a guy who lives, breathes and sleeps baseball,” Schriffen said. “When I met with Jerry, it was exciting to learn and just feel his passion for the team and the history of baseball, how much he loves it and our shared passion for it.”
With spring training starting in less than three weeks, Schriffen is going to take a crash course in learning the Sox's roster. He already has a good idea what the fan base is like.
“The thing that I've noticed is the passion, and that's all you can ask for when you have a job like this,” Schriffen said. “What I tell fans is that I'm going to match that passion. I am super excited about baseball, about learning Chicago, about this White Sox club that is forming together with all the young stars that are here. Give it some time and I think you guys are going to enjoy what you see on TV.”
Like Schriffen, Benetti had multiple side jobs broadcasting a variety of sports on national networks. His frequent absences from the Sox's booth was the main reason for his sudden departure, which left many White Sox fans livid.
Schriffen isn't nearly as high profile as Benetti and he's open to working most or all Sox games this season and beyond.
“I am all in,” Schriffen said. “That was something I talked with Jerry about early on, whoever he hired, he wanted to make sure that person, this was going to be their main priority. I said, 'I am very clear on that.' That was the agreement we had very early on in this process and that's the understanding that we have.”
Schriffen, who is biracial, becomes the second Black television play-by-play announcer in major-league baseball, joining Seattle’s Dave Sims. Schriffen’s grandfather, Alphonso Deal, was president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP.
Before joining ESPN, Schriffen worked as a studio host and anchor for the NFL Network and as a play-by-play broadcaster and sideline reporter for CBS Sports.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, where he pitched for the school's baseball team and also did radio work, Schriffen began his broadcasting career as a reporter and anchor for News 12 The Bronx in New York City.
“John is an incredibly talented sports broadcaster who brings energy, combined with national experience, to the booth,” said Brooks Boyer, the Sox's chief revenue and marketing officer. “The White Sox have always been committed to setting the standard for local baseball telecasts, delivering professional, engaging and entertaining broadcasts for all viewers.”