O’Donnell: Jason Benetti joining Harry Caray and Jim Durham in post-Reinsdorf nirvana
ONE INTRIGUING WAY FOR A MEMORABLE PLAY-BY-PLAY MAN to be recognized as one of the best in his business is apparently to disconnect from a team run by Jerry Reinsdorf.
Harry Caray was the first. He beat the posse in late 1981 when he split from the startup Reinsdorf-Eddie Einhorn White Sox for the new TribCo Cubs of Andy McKenna and Jim Dowdle.
Eight years later, he touched Cooperstown immortality when he received the Baseball Hall's Ford C. Frick Award.
TWO YEARS AFTER THAT, in 1991, the non pareil Jim Durham was thrown overboard by Reinsdorf's championship 1.0 Bulls following a messy contract dispute.
In 2011 Durham reached basketball's broadcast pinnacle when he was named a recipient of the Naismith Hall's Curt Gowdy Media Award.
AT AGE 42 JASON BENETTI IS TOO YOUNG to be considered for such lasting oak-leaf accolades.
But two years after telling Reinsdorf and his White Sox staff to take their microphone and shove it, Benetti's career arc continues up, up and away.
The South suburban Homewood native has been named lead play-by-play voice of NBC's fresh “Sunday Night Baseball” package.
HE'LL WORK ALONGSIDE an evolving scroll of analysts, most connected to the participating teams, when the prime-time series begins March 26 with a Diamondbacks-at-Dodgers opener.
The first Sunday nighter follows that weekend with the Guardians at Cal Raleigh's Seattle.
Although “SNB” will not be a ratings sensation, it's a crystal-clear acknowledgement of Benetti's status as one of the most erudite, facile game callers in the land.
HE SPENT EIGHT LEARNING-TREE SEASONS as one of the voices of the White Sox (2016-23). Then, following some attitude from Sox upper crusters that he didn't care for, Benetti abruptly bolted for the Detroit Tigers.
He'll retain that Motown association this season in a local deal that allows for up to 35 missed games while handling national assignments.
BENETTI'S TALE IS a Hallmark story of a local boy who made good and then made even better once he could fly over a too-frequently smarmy South Side cuckoo's nest.
Harry Caray and Jim Durham could have told him all about that.
STREET-BEATIN':
Palatine mayor Jim Schwantz continues to receive high praise for becoming the first prominent Northwest suburban leader to cite the probable local debt load a new Bears stadium at Arlington Park could bring about. Schwantz's long association with the NFL as a player and WBBM-AM (780) analyst only enhances his credibility. Steve Zalusky of the Daily Herald was the first to report. …
The passing of Bob Harlan at age 89 this week touched many far beyond his sphere as a past president of the Green Bay Packers (1989-2008). Son Kevin is one of the top play-by-play men in the games; agent-son Bryan has a client roster filled with a stellar array of football coaches and broadcasters. Mr. Harlan hired Canton-bound Ron Wolf as the Pack's GM in 1991 and the northwoods revival was on. …
Hey-hey, no doubt about it: The only acceptable ending for Fox Sports to that synthetic World Baseball Classic is a U.S.-Japan finale March 17. As a matter of fact, if the Foxholers could draw up their dream limbering baseball event, it would be Shohei Ohtani and a rotating crew step-laddering against the world, up to and including the Savannah Bananas. …
As the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks were chasing a 31-0 start this weekend, second-tier observers noted that head coach Travis Steele is the brother of former Fighting Illini boss John Groce (2012-17). To complete the family circle, Groce now directs the Akron Zips, the most likely choice to tip off against Miami in the Mid-American Conference title game next Saturday night in Cleveland. …
Industry sources are indicating that Bad Bunny's halftime show during Super Bowl 60 set a new global standard of 4.1 billion views within 24 hours of its origination. That includes live broadcast, YouTube and other digital channeling. (And goes to prove, there really has been worldwide pop music phenomena since “L.A. Woman” and “Dark Side of the Moon.”) …
The Post-Dean Richards Effect is already negatively impacting diminished Nexstar/WGN. On Channel 9, morning sports medfly Pat Tomasulo prattled through a weekend show-biz preview that included a plug for a live comedy appearance featuring himself. And on AM-720, Bob Sirott's 8 a.m. half-hour — normally his most listenable because of max Richards and minimal Nexstar — has been blown to smithereens. …
And Chicago sports staple Steve Kashul reminds that Lou Holtz always wanted six strawberry milkshakes in his coach's office before every Notre Dame game — home and away. Holtz's biggest green-felt problem in South Bend, then and now, was that he wasn't Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy or Ara Parseghian. …
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.