The Chicago Cubs are seeing some sweeping changes throughout the organization, and those changes continued last week. Len Kasper announced that he was leaving his television play-by-play announcer job with the Chicago Cubs to take a job on Chicago White Sox radio.
Losing Kasper was tough for many Cubs fans to take, but losing him to the White Sox made it all the more painful. Many people believed that Kasper was unhappy with the new Marquee Network, but that was not the case.
Kasper himself saw this new position as, “the opportunity of a lifetime,” as he has always dreamed of working on the radio. It’s hard to fault someone for chasing their dreams, but this has been a rough year for Cubs fans and Kasper was always the voice of reason to talk fans off the ledge.
Kasper spent the last 16 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, and he is beloved by Cubs fans. He was a big reason that the Marquee Network was successful in its first year, and he is also a great follow on Twitter.
The Chicago White Sox are getting a great announcer, and it’s likely that Kasper will get to witness plenty of success on the South Side. Kasper has thanked the Cubs organization and Cubs fans on social media, and all of that love was reciprocated.
Kasper Saw it All
During his 16 years on Cubs television, Len Kasper got to experience all of the highs and lows associated with the organization. He was there when the Cubs were losing 100+ games and was also there when the Cubs ended a 108-year championship drought.
It’s a shame that the World Series was not on WGN as Kasper surely would have delivered a great call when the curse was finally broken. He was on the radio during the 2016 playoff run, but a large portion of Cubs fans missed out on listening to “their” guy.
Spending 16 years in Chicago meant that an entire generation of Cubs fans grew up listening to him, and next year won’t be the same without hearing his voice. He was more than just a play-by-play announcer as he routinely taught the game of baseball as well.
His famous line of, “Oh Baby!” accompanies some of the biggest moments in Cubs history, and that iconic line will live on in video clips and montages. He delivered that line for the final out of the no-hitter thrown by Carlos Zambrano, and who can forget the walk-off home run hit by Aramis Ramirez on June 29, 2007.
Len and JD were a great combination in the booth, and there is no doubt that JD will struggle to try to figure out a new partner. Play-by-play announces come and go all of the time in professional sports, but losing Len Kasper hurts.
This has been a rough season for fans of the Chicago Cubs, and hearing someone else on the play-by-play call on Opening Day will be a reminder of just how rough this winter was. Len will be missed…. Oh Baby!
Possible Replacements
It is unclear who will actually be hiring the replacement for Len Kasper as technically the Marquee Network produces Cubs television broadcasts. It is likely that Marquee and the Chicago Cubs will work together to choose a replacement, and several options have already been mentioned.
Chris Myers was immediately viewed as a potential replacement, but that appears to just be a rumor at this point. The Cubs could also try to lure Jason Bennetti from the Chicago White Sox, but that move doesn’t appear to be likely.
Don’t be surprised if the Cubs hire someone that is not currently a big name. Kasper himself wasn’t a big-name hire, but he grew into the role and did a great job for 16 seasons.
Whoever takes over for Len Kasper in 2021 will have some big shoes to fill.
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