Chicago is Masur's kind of baseball town

Growing up in Glenview, Andy Masur was a Cubs fan.

"My grandfather and my father instilled that in me," he said.

For many in the Chicago area, pulling for the Cubs with one hand means tearing apart the White Sox with the other.

It's the same deal with Sox fans' view of the Cubs.

Not in the Masur household.

"I was never one of those that bashed the other side," Andy said. "I thought it was pointless to worry about even saying stupid things like that. It didn't matter. People rooted for who they wanted to root for."

After attending Maine East High School and completing his formal education at Bradley, Masur realized his dream as a major-league baseball broadcaster - with the Cubs.

From 1999-2007, he was a part of the Cubs' radio network at 720-AM, working as the main pregame and postgame host while also filling in as play-by-play voice sitting alongside the late Ron Santo.

"Working for the Cubs, it's amazing what happens when you get into the booth and how much the fan kind of goes out of you," Masur said. "You're working now, actually doing this for a living. It's been almost 15 years since I did broadcasting for the Cubs. Looking back, I think I've always been a fan of the team I'm broadcasting for because you get to know the guys, and that's why you want them to win."

Masur left WGN radio and headed for San Diego in 2007, where he was part of the Padres' radio broadcast team and an occasional TV fill-in for eight seasons.

Rick Renteria was on San Diego's coaching staff from 2008-13, and Masur got to know the White Sox's current manager well.

"I always loved him," Masur said. "I always admired and respected him. That personality he has, he's so hard not to root for."

Returning to WGN radio in 2018, Masur was doing Sox pregame and postgame work the last two seasons. He also sat in for Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson when one of the duo needed a break.

Farmer passed away on April 1, and Masur was hired to replace the White Sox's longtime radio broadcaster.

Masur got to know the outgoing Farmer well the last two years, but he'll never forget his first encounter. It was in 2005, when the Cubs were playing an interleague game against the Sox at U.S. Cellular Field (now Guaranteed Rate Field).

"It was a hot summer day and Ed kept coming over to the Cubs booth to check on Ron Santo," Masur said. "Ron was a diabetic, he lost both legs, and Ed went out of his way to come in and make sure Ron was taken care of. Drinks, food, air conditioning, making sure the right TV channel was on. It was something that was special to me and I'll always remember it.

"I first officially met Ed in 2018 and mentioned that day to him. I told him, 'I'll never forget the way you treated a guy I respected and loved.' He just kind of looked at me as if to say, 'That's just me. That's kind of how I operate.'

"The last couple years, I learned that. He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back and be angry you didn't ask for the shirt in the first place. He always wanted to help."

Masur is looking forward to joining Jackson on White Sox radio broadcasts. He's not going to even try to replace Farmer, who was in the booth for 29 seasons.

"A lot of people have to said to me, 'Well, you're replacing Ed,' " Masur said. "No, I'm not replacing Ed because you can't replace Ed. There's only one Ed Farmer. There always will be only one Ed Farmer.

"His name's going to stay on that door and on that booth. It's his booth and I'm sitting in there now just trying to do what I do and trying to make him proud to work really well with D.J. and give fans a good broadcast."

Masur is an experienced pro, which should help as he prepares to broadcast a short 60-game season during an incredibly unique time that's been created by COVID-19.

"It's interesting," he said. "I really feel like it's going to be a challenge, and I mean that in a good way because fans are going to be really dependent upon us now without being able to go to the ballpark.

"It's an awesome responsibility. Since we're in uncharted territory here, I'm just going to kind of do what I do and hopefully that will come across as being a little entertaining, very informative and really working well with Darrin.

"The biggest challenge is obviously going to be doing the road games from home. It's a challenge, but I'm looking forward to meeting that thing head on."