25 January 2024
The Chicago White Sox filled their opening in the booth on Thursday, naming John Schriffen as the new television play-by-play broadcaster.
Schriffen, 39, will call games on NBC Sports Chicago with analyst Steve Stone. He received a multiyear deal.
Schriffen has called Major League Baseball, NCAA basketball, football, softball and baseball games, the NBA G-League and Summer League for ESPN. He came to ESPN in 2020 to provide coverage with the Korean Baseball Organization.
“I grew up playing and loving the game of baseball, so it is an ultimate dream to have accepted the role as play-by-play voice of the Chicago White Sox,” Schriffen said in a statement. “When you consider all the great and talented broadcasters who have worked White Sox games over the decades, being handed this responsibility truly is humbling.
“My new partner, Steve Stone, ranks among those greats, and I am looking forward to our calling Sox games together this season as I get to know White Sox fans and they get to know me. I can’t wait to get started.”
He takes over the position after Jason Benetti became the voice of the Detroit Tigers.
Prior to joining ESPN, Schriffen served as a studio host and anchor for the NFL Network, including on NFL Total Access and NFL Gameday Live, and as a play-by-play broadcaster and sideline reporter for CBS Sports.
Schriffen, who is biracial, becomes the second Black television play-by-play announcer in MLB along with Seattle’s Dave Sims, according to the Sox. The Dartmouth graduate pitched for the baseball team.
“John is an incredibly talented sports broadcaster who brings energy, combined with national experience, to the booth,” Brooks Boyer, White Sox chief revenue and marketing officer, said in a statement. “The White Sox have always been committed to setting the standard for local baseball telecasts, delivering professional, engaging and entertaining broadcasts for all viewers.
“John and Steve Stone, along with our best-in-class production team at NBC Sports Chicago, will undoubtedly carry on the legacy and tradition of the great White Sox teams in the booth.”
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