Tag / Ed Farmer

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #6

Music.  It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions.  It is the universal language that speaks to the soul.  It forms the soundtrack of our lives.

It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library, featuring he songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which older songs still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2025.

We continue this week with the two tracks tied for sixth on this countdown with 152 plays apiece, both of which have ties to the local ballclub and neither of which would classify as a traditional song.

#7: sox05_montage
iTunes stats: 152 plays, most recently on 8/28/2024
Previous ranking: #6

In 2005, the White Sox won their first division title since 2000, their first ALDS and ALCS ever, and, finally, their first World Series championship since 1917.  This track contains radio highlights from John Rooney and Ed Farmer, courtesy of the team’s flagship ESPN 1000, of the entire 2005 season, starting with a 1-0 victory over Cleveland at US Cellular Field and culminating in a 1-0 victory against the Astros in Houston to give the White Sox their first championship in 88 years.  It featured on my White Sox victory playlists for the next decade, finally dropping off in 2015.

#6: Gordon Beckham Intro
iTunes stats: 152 plays, most recently on 6/27/2024
Previous ranking: #6

Drafted by the White Sox as the eighth overall pick in 2008, Gordon Beckham made a splash when he first broke into the Major Leagues in 2009.  He used The Outfield’s hit Your Love as his walkup song, which was not part of my collection at the time.  This recording, featuring Gene Honda introducing the former White Sox infielder as he came up to the plate, was a part of my White Sox victory playlist until I was able to track down a copy of the real thing.

by admin

Holy Cow!

In a shocking development, Len Kasper, who has been the television play-by-play voice of the Cubs for 16 years on numerous networks, has decided to leave that post to join the radio booth for the White Sox.  He will join the returning Darrin Jackson as the team moves back to ESPN 1000 for the 2021 season.  Kasper, who will turn 50 before Opening Day, has always been passionate about radio and has long desired the chance to call a World Series, something he would not get a chance to do on TV.

Chris Myers, the long time ESPN and FOX Sports announcer, seems to be the leading candidate to replace Kasper in the Cubs booth.  He was hired by Marquee last year to be the occasional fill-in for Kasper and a studio host, but the corona virus put the kibosh on those plans.  Left out in the cold is Andy Masur, the longtime WGN employee who stepped in to replace Ed Farmer last season after Farmer passed away last spring.

To say this was a surprise would be a bit of an understatement.  It’s been an off-season exodus for the Cubs, but, unlike Theo Epstein or Kyle Schwarber, this was one loss that I can honestly say nobody saw coming.  For the White Sox, it is a nice little coup to improve their radio product while stealing some thunder from their cross-town rivals.

by admin

On The Move Again

Robert Feder reported yesterday that the flagship radio home of the White Sox will likely be changing next season.  While nothing is official, all signs are pointing to a deal with WMVP ESPN 1000, the team’s radio home from 1996 through 2005.

A station change may also lead to a shakeup in the booth.  Current play-by-play man Andy Masur, a WGN mainstay, is on a one year contract following the death of Ed Farmer.  Darrin Jackson, who has been in the radio booth since 2009 and part of the overall broadcast team for the Sox since 2000, is nearing 60.  With the White Sox poised to be contenders for the next several years, the new bosses at ESPN 1000 may want to refresh the presentation.

by admin

Changes In The Radio Booth

Now that the start of the baseball season is set, WGN and the White Sox have announced that Andy Masur would replace Ed Farmer in the radio booth for the 2020 season.  Masur, who was the pre-game host and had filled in for Farmer last season and was planned to fill in again when Farmer stepped away in spring training before the sport shut down because of the corona virus pandemic, spent 8 years at WGN, starting in 1999, before leaving to become the voice of the Padres in 2007.  He returned to the station in 2014 and started working with the White Sox when they moved to WGN in 2018.  He will join the returning Darrin Jackson, who has been the color man in the booth since 2009.

Farmer, who had spent 28 years in the White Sox radio booth and was the main play-by-play man since 2006, passed away following a long illness on April 2nd.

by admin

RIP Farmio

The White Sox announced yesterday that long-time radio broadcaster Ed Farmer had passed away Wednesday night.  Farmer, who missed parts of last season due to illness, returned for the initial broadcast of spring training earlier this year, but then stepped away again in early March to continue recovering.  He was 70.

Farmer, a Chicago native and graduate of St. Rita, pitched for the White Sox from mid-1979 through 1981 and set a then-team record with 30 saves in 1980, earning him an All-Star team bid for the best season of his 11 year pitching career.  He was working as a scout for the Orioles in 1990 when he was asked to fill in on a few White Sox broadcasts.  He became a special assistant to White Sox GM Ron Schueler in 1991 and filled in for John Rooney when he was on national assignments.

Farmer replaced Wayne Hagin in the radio booth in 1992, teaming with Rooney for the next 14 seasons.  In 2004, the duo were named the best radio team in the American League by USA Today.  When Rooney left following the 2005 season, Farmer became the play-by-play man and teamed with Chris Singleton, Steve Stone, and Darrin Jackson, who has been his radio partner since 2009.

Farmer was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and received a kidney transplant from his brother in 1991.

by admin

Filling In

The White Sox and WGN announced today that Ed Farmer, the long time radio voice of the team, would miss the remainder of the spring training slate due to illness.  Andy Masur will take over play-by-play duties, along side Darrin Jackson, until Farmer is able to return.

Farmer, who turned 70 in October, missed time last season with an undisclosed illness, and, at least according to this listener’s ears, did not sound well during the initial broadcasts of the spring.  While I wish Farmer nothing but good health moving forward, it would be best for the broadcast if Masur were to stay on full time.

by admin

You Can Catch It All On WGN

After spending the last two weeks as free agents following a US Bankruptcy Court releasing them from their contract with Cumulus Media’s WLS, the White Sox announced this morning that they will be moving their radio broadcasts to WGN in a reported 3 year deal.  The broadcast team of Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson will continue with the team for the 2018 season.

The White Sox first moved to WLS in 2016, signing a 6 year deal.  This morning’s action gives them their 3rd radio home in the past 4 seasons. that took them away from the Score after 10 seasons.  WGN last broadcast baseball in 2014, when the Cubs finished up their 56 year run with the station.

by admin

Radio Nuggets

The White Sox announced that they have agreed to one-year contract extensions with Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson, keeping them in the radio booth next season as the team moves up the dial to WLS.  2016 will be Farmer’s 25th season in the booth, his 8th with Jackson as his color commentator.

Meanwhile, now that the Cubs season has come to an end, more rumors have started to leak regarding their move down the dial from WBBM to the Score, the former home of the White Sox.  The team had one opportunity to do so during this offseason, otherwise they would be stuck on WBBM for the remaining 6 years on their deal with CBS radio.  While this season was more successful than anyone could have imagined, the fit between the all-news station and the Cubs has been poor.  There were even reports of the station cutting away from one of the NLCS games mid-inning for a traffic report.  These issues should not occur on an all-sports station like the Score.

by jim

Moving Up The Dial

After months of speculation, word broke yesterday that the White Sox will be leaving their radio home since 2006, WSCR The Score, at the end of this season and will be moving up the dial to WLS.  The former Big 89, which beat out WGN along with The Score, are expected to sign a 6 year deal with the White Sox later this week.

No word yet on whether the current broadcast team of Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson will make the move.  Farmer followed the club from ESPN 1000 to The Score following the 2005 season, but will be 66 by opening day 2016.  Jackson, who turns 52 in August, is the young pup of the White Sox broadcast team.

Now that the first domino has fallen in the Chicago radio rights game, expect the next to come rather quickly.  CBS Radio, knowing that the Sox contact was due to expire, set up a clause in their Cubs deal that allows them to move those broadcasts to The Score from WBBM.  Given the poor fit that Cubs baseball has been on the all news station, I expect them to do so sooner rather than later.

by admin

#205 – Chris Singleton

1384-174FrName: Chris Singleton

Rank: 205

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 1999-2001

Chris Singleton joined the White Sox after a December, 1998 trade with the Yankees for a player to be named later.  He made the big league club during spring training of 1999 and made his major league debut on April 10, pinch hitting in a White Sox loss to the Royals.  Later that season, on July 6, Singleton became the first White Sox player in 15 years to hit for the cycle, again in a loss to the Royals.  He finished the year with a .300 average and 17 home runs, which earned him 6th place in Rookie of the Year voting, ahead of teammate Carlos Lee.

Singleton had earned the starting job in center field entering the 2000 season, but, while the team caught fire and went on to win their first division title since 1993, Singleton’s numbers regressed.  His average dropped to .254 and he fell to 11 home runs.  His struggles intensified during the Division Series loss against the Mariners, as he went 1 for 9 in the 3 games.

2001 saw Singleton’s playing time reduced, although his average rebounded back to .298.  He appeared in only 7 fewer games as the year before, but his at bats dropped by over 100.  For the second year in a row, his power numbers fell, now down to 7.

A few weeks before spring training was set to begin in 2002, Singleton was dealt to the Orioles, in exchange for Willie Harris.  Singleton would rejoin the organization in 2006 as the new color analyst on the radio broadcasts.  He lasted for two painful seasons, teamed with fellow color man Ed Farmer, before leaving to become an analyst for ESPN on Baseball Tonight.

Singleton’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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