Back to back goodbye letters on the blog is never a good sign for an organization. Late last night we got word that Len Kasper, Cubs TV play by play announcer for 16 years, is leaving the booth to become the voice of White Sox radio. It’s another sad day for Cubs fans and especially those that are in my age range. A quick Google search tells me that we don’t really start forming memories until about 7 years old (don’t hold me to this) which means that of my 19 years being able to form memories on this earth, 84% of them were made with Len Kasper. He was a fantastic broadcaster and a pros pro.
Now, as a rational fan, I understand why he’s making this transition. If you’re a baseball nerd or a die-hard fan, you know that radio is different. Yeah TV is king, and, in most circumstances, this would seem like a total backwards move. But baseball is different. There’s a nostalgic aspect to a radio broadcast of a baseball game. The difficulty of having to fill the airtime and really describe every last detail to the listener like Pat Hughes has done for decades. It’s a challenge and one that Len Kasper has wanted to take on since he was a little kid. “12-year-old Len Kasper is as thrilled as can be” he said today on ESPN 1000 radio. I truly believe that Len wanted to take on a new challenge and finally fulfill his dream of being the voice of [INSERT TEAM] radio.
The other perk with transitioning to radio from TV is being able to call every playoff and World Series game. I imagine it’s pretty tough broadcasting 150ish games only to have to hand the mic over to Joe Buck and his buddies and watch from home as he yells “And the Cubs have won the World Series!” Len finally gets this opportunity while also still being able to do 20-25 TV broadcasts a year.
Taking the job with the White Sox is what stings a little. I totally understand the move from TV to radio if that’s your dream. But going from Chicago’s team to the little brother on the southside just seems wrong. I understand not wanting to uproot your family and I understand that the Sox and the Cubs are currently on slightly different trajectories. But going to a smaller market (in terms of fans) where the team is always in the bottom 5 in attendance seems like a downgrade. That being said, I’d rather see him go to The White Sox than some random small market team across the country…that would raise more red flags.
And speaking of red flags, I know there will be A LOT of people that won’t think rationally about this. People will point to the new Marquee Network and say, “well they shouldn’t have made him wear a suit.” You really think Len is leaving after 16 years because the ownership made him dress up a bit? You think they treated Len poorly during a COVID year where they were all trying their best to just get through a shortened season? Or they’ll point to the “struggling” team and chalk it up as just another move that shows the team is falling off and going into a rebuild. Let’s not forget that Len was with this team for some of the darkest days. The multiple seasons of 90+ losses. The Marlon Byrd, Reed Johnson, Jeff Baker days. I think he can handle the rollercoaster.
As we say goodbye to Len and wish him the best of luck on his journey, let’s look back at some of my favorite Len Kasper calls:
Aramis Ramirez 2 Run Shot (2007)
Kris Bryant Walk-off vs Rockies (2015)
Zambrano No Hitter v Astros (2008) – Skip to 4mins
Chris Denorfia Walk-off vs Royals (2015)
Polanco Drops the Ball (2015)
Darwin Barney 2-Run homer vs Padres
If Pat Hughes ever leaves the Cubs radio broadcast, I might boycott life.