This week has featured plenty of surprising news for Chicago baseball fans, and Thursday ended up being no exception.
Play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti announced that he signed a multi-year contract with the Detroit Tigers to call games for the club on TV after eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox.
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Benetti joined the White Sox in 2016 and later took over full-time play-by-play duties at the start of the 2019 season following the retirement of Ken "Hawk" Harrelson.
In addition to his work with the White Sox, Benetti has extensive experience calling college basketball, college football and the NFL. After 11 years with ESPN, Benetti moved to Fox Sports in 2022.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Brooks Boyer, chief revenue and marketing officer of the Chicago White Sox, called Benetti "one of the very best broadcasters across multiple sports."
"We want to thank Jason Benetti for all he has done for the Chicago White Sox throughout his tenure and for all he means to White Sox fans. Not only is Jason one of the very best broadcasters across multiple sports, he is a born-and-raised White Sox fan who shared his passion for the team on air night in and night out," Boyer said in a statement. "He represented the club in the community and engaged with fans, all while delivering one of the very best local broadcasts in Major League Baseball."
Chicago White Sox
Boyer said the team allowed Benetti to "explore the opportunity with the Detroit Tigers" and is "proud to see Jason continue to live out his dream to bring the games he loves into the homes of fans in his unique style."
"We will miss Jason calling White Sox games and wish him the very best on this next chapter of his storied broadcasting career," Boyer said.
According to the White Sox, the search for a new TV play-by-play announcer is already underway, as the team looks for a new booth partner for longtime color commentator Steve Stone in 2024.
Len Kasper, who began working as the White Sox radio play-by-play announcer in 2021 after spending 16 seasons as the TV play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Cubs, will remain in the radio role.
Following the announcement of Benetti's next step in his career, the beloved announcer shared a message directly to White Sox fans.
"Dear @whitesox fans," his message began. "You've spent 8 years making me feel welcome and loved and appreciated. And I love you dearly."