Power Ranking Chicago Sports' Play-by-Play Broadcasters

Historically, Chicago sports haven't always looked great to spectators, but they've typically sounded great in thousands of living rooms and cars across Chicagoland. The Windy City has been home to several legendary play-by-play broadcasters over the past several decades with the likes of Harry Caray, Jack Brickhouse, Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, Tom Dore, and Pat Foley, among others, manning the microphones. Those legends have since come and gone, paving the way for a new wave of broadcasters.

Change is sometimes good and necessary, and other times... Well, it isn't. When a new broadcaster replaces a legend, they're put in an impossible position right off the bat, as fans are typically resistant to change. Former White Sox broadcaster Jason Benetti found himself in this position when he replaced Hawk Harrelson in 2016.

Benetti made the best of a less-than-ideal position and ultimately endeared himself to the majority of White Sox fans. In a quick eight-year span, Benetti transitioned from the new guy nobody wanted to the broadcaster they didn't want to see leave. Unfortunately for Sox fans, that's exactly what happened when Benetti departed the White Sox booth for the same role with the Detroit Tigers ahead of the 2024 season.

Opportunities are what you make of them. It's never easy to be the new guy in town following a legend. Chris Vosters spent the last two seasons leading the Chicago Blackhawks' television booth after replacing the legendary Pat Foley, who spent 39 seasons with the team. Vosters had a shaky start to his tenure and saw it come to an end Thursday when the Blackhawks replaced him with veteran Rick Ball .

New White Sox play-by-play broadcaster John Schriffen has been a polarizing figure in Chicago during his first season on the job. He's found himself at war with one of Chicago's premier radio stations and has endured a number of slip-ups in the booth. Ask yourself this though: Has anybody ever been thrown into a worse situation than Schriffen has with this year's White Sox team?

Schriffen was tasked daily with entering the living rooms of a fan base already enraged with the current state of the Sox and replacing a beloved broadcaster, all while calling games for a team that's competing for the all-time single-season losses record. Shouldn't be too difficult, right?

No less, Schriffen has been ripped to shreds by the local media and fans alike. Sure, some of the criticism is warranted, but at what point are we piling on a broadcaster who was dealt a pair of UNO cards in a game of Texas Hold'em?

What exactly does one look for in a local broadcaster of their favorite team? What makes the great broadcasters set themselves apart from everyone else? The answer is that there's no perfect formula, but a fan will know it when they see/hear it.

The state of play-by-play broadcasting in Chicago may not be what it was 10-15 years ago, but it's still strong. In this exercise, let's take a look at each team's television and radio play-by-play broadcasters and rank them from worst to first.

Ticking Clocks

These things take time, but how long can it last until the clock runs out?

9. John Schriffen

John Schriffen was dealt the ultimate bad hand in taking over the White Sox play-by-play job . However, he hasn't exactly been a world-class poker player. The new voice of the White Sox has struggled to replace Jason Benetti.

From mispronouncing Bill Veeck's last name on air to making regular appearances on the famous X/Twitter page "Awful Announcing," Schriffen hasn't exactly had a smooth transition. Couple that with him throwing fuel onto a fire with 670 The Score by referring to them as "Radio Losers," Schriffen hasn't endeared himself to the local media.

There have been some awkward moments along the way as well. Schriffen tried to implement a signature win call by exclaiming "South Side Stand Up!" at the end of victories. However, the White Sox don't do much of that, which has led to easy mocking of Schriffen. The local media has been out on the new broadcaster, but he may have also lost fans with his recent call of an altercation in Milwaukee.

Could Schriffen end up being a one-and-done with Chicago Sports Network launching this fall ?

Related: It's Here: Chicago Sports Network Is New Home for Blackhawks, Bulls, White Sox

8. Chris Vosters

*Disclaimer: Chris Vosters was replaced as the TV voice of the Blackhawks during the construction of this article. Rick Ball will remain unranked until hockey season.

Chris Vosters entered a similar situation to what John Schriffen walked into. Vosters was tasked with replacing a legend and calling games for a bad team. Again though, opportunities are what you make of them, and unfortunately for Vosters, he didn't maximize them.

Things didn't end up working out for Vosters with the Blackhawks, but it wasn't for a lack of effort. The former voice of the Blackhawks seemed to put the work in. He was present at all practices, was active on social media engaging fans, and seemed to do his homework on the team.

However, when you get called up to the big leagues, doing the work isn't always enough. Vosters was often ridiculed for his awkward calls and common mistakes. His "And a score" goal call was regularly mocked by fans on X/Twitter. In the end, the Blackhawks quickly rectified a mistake.

Related: Blackhawks Replace Chris Vosters with Rick Ball as TV Play-By-Play Voice

Pretty Damn Good

Hard hats and lunch pails, these guys are seasoned veterans who deserve respect.

7. Chuck Swirsky

Chuck Swirsky has become a staple in Chicago sports. He was the sports director at WGN Radio, hosted pre- and post-game shows for the Bears and Cubs, and was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

Swirsky is a steady presence on the Bulls' radio call. He doesn't deliver the same “wow” moments that his TV counterpart Adam Amin provides, but he strikes a nice blend of informational and descriptive commentary. Add in his charmingly positive off-air personality, and it’s hard for fans to pick a bone with Swirsky.

6. Jon "Boog" Sciambi

Many names on this list have replaced beloved figures in the broadcast booth. Jon Sciambi was no different when he came to the Chicago Cubs and took over for Len Kasper. Cubs fans loved Kasper for everything he brought to the broadcast.

It appears fans would still prefer to have Kasper, and rightfully so. However, Sciambi brings a strong presence with extensive national television experience to the North Side. "Boog" is comedic and has a great voice, and in this industry, a great voice can make or break you.

5. Adam Amin

Enter yet another man tasked with accepting a passing of the torch. Adam Amin replaced Neil Funk as the voice of the Chicago Bulls in 2020. With the hire, the Bulls hit a home run. Amin is also well known for his national sports coverage in the NFL and MLB, where one could argue he's even better.

Amin and Stacey King have excellent chemistry, especially when it comes to injecting humor into the broadcast. Bulls’ basketball may be stuck in the mud from an organizational standpoint, but the on-court product remains exciting on a nightly basis often thanks to Amin’s emphatic calls of momentum-changing moments backed by King’s memorable catchphrases.

Related: Bulls' Adam Amin Named 2021 Illinois Sportscaster of the Year

Legends Never Die

With Caray, Brickhouse, Harrelson, Dore, and Foley out of the game, they've made way for the next wave of Chicago legends.

4. Len Kasper

Len Kasper originally made his mark on Chicago sports on the North Side, where he spent 16 seasons as the voice of the Cubs before leaving for the White Sox radio booth. Kasper cited having a passion for wanting to do radio, which frankly, feels like the ultimate "baseball guy" move.

Kasper is a calming presence for Sox fans when they tune into ESPN 1000 and hear the veteran broadcaster. The team might be historically bad, but Kasper always makes it a good listen . He's a professional through and through. The White Sox haven't had much go right over the last few years, but stealing Kasper from their crosstown rival was a walk-off grand slam.

3. Jeff Joniak

NFL games always air on national television called by announcers rotating weekly, so you don't always associate a specific broadcaster with a specific team. Things couldn't be further from the truth in Chicago with Jeff Joniak and the Bears.

Joniak has been the radio voice of the Bears since 2001. In his 23 years on the mic, Joniak has delivered iconic calls one after another, perhaps none more famous than coining the term "Devin Hester, you are ridiculous!" Joniak brings a great personality and strong passion to the booth in Chicago.

2. John Wiedeman

John Wiedeman, who has spent the last 16 seasons as the radio voice of the Chicago Blackhawks, long lived in the shadow of TV voice Pat Foley. However, he's one of the best broadcasters this city has ever seen and touts some of the most iconic calls in Chicago sports, being the voice of three Stanley Cup championships.

Calling hockey on the radio may be one of the most difficult jobs in sports. Bringing an extremely fast-paced game to life isn't the easiest of tasks, but Wiedeman hits it out of the park. He and his partner Troy Murray have been a staple for Blackhawks fans over the years and are now about all that's left from the Stanley Cup runs of the 2010s.

1. Pat Hughes

Pat Hughes' voice sounds exactly what baseball should sound like. In fact, Hughes might have the greatest voice in all of sports. Pair that iconic voice with a historic, old stadium like Wrigley Field, and it just reeks of America's pastime. Listening to him pronounce Willson Contreras's name was the ultimate treat.

Hughes has been calling baseball for over 40 years and has been the voice of Cubs radio since 1996. In recognition of his career, Hughes was honored with the 2023 Ford C. Frick Award . When you think of what a radio play-by-play announcer should sound like, Pat Hughes is the mold. He's the gold standard for play-by-play in Chicago.

So how does a local broadcaster endear themselves to a fan base? They bring passion to their job every single day. Because for 2-3 hours a day, people want to turn their lives off and watch or listen to a game. When doing so, they want a voice to encapsulate everything they're feeling in a broadcast. That's what guys like Len Kasper, Jeff Joniak, John Wiedeman, and Pat Hughes do night in and night out.

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