Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 14, 2008 at 14:44:35:
Stepping Stone: Analyst goes to TV
Will join Harrelson in Sox's booth for '09
First it was "Hawk and Wimpy." Then "Hawk and D.J."
Beginning in 2009 it will be "Hawk and Stoney."
The White Sox announced Saturday that Steve Stone had signed a six-year deal, with a club option for 2015, to become the team's television analyst. He will slide to the TV booth after one year as the Sox's radio analyst.
"I couldn't be happier, because I love Chicago," Stone said. "And I get to broadcast games with a guy I consider one of the greatest play-by-play guys doing baseball currently, Hawk Harrelson."
Stone will replace Darrin Jackson, who has been offered Stone's spot in the Sox's radio booth.
The Sox said they were "awaiting a decision from Jackson" on whether he will choose to work alongside Ed Farmer.
"There are no answers yet," Jackson said Saturday. "I'll wait until after the season to decide.
"I'm happy they offered me the position, I'll tell you that right now. My first choice has always been to stay in Chicago. Farmio and I are good friends, and that will register in the decision. You want to work with someone you get along great with."
Jackson and Harrelson overcame some early awkwardness to form a strong bond in their nine seasons together.
Harrelson said he told Sox officials he hoped to continue the partnership. But Harrelson is also loyal to the Sox and said he understood the team's decision.
"I told them: 'There's no sense in me talking about it anymore. You guys know how I feel,' " Harrelson said. "It has been nine fun years with D.J.
"It's an unusual scenario, but I know the business. D.J. and I talked [Friday] night. He said, 'You guys will make a great team.' I told him, 'You know how I felt, buddy.' "
Jackson told the Tribune in July that he had grown uneasy about his future.
"Common sense lets you know," Jackson said at the time, "that obviously if they want you back, they would have already picked up your option."
The Sox informed Jackson on Friday that they were declining his option and would usher in a new era of TV broadcasts.
The move figures to draw raves from the vast majority of Sox fans.
"Steve Stone is one of the very best analysts in the game," Sox Vice President Brooks Boyer said. "We feel our fans and casual baseball fans across the country will appreciate what this team of Chicago broadcast icons will bring to the table each and every telecast."
Sox TV ratings have lagged far behind those of the Cubs, and the team would like to change that. Stone became a fan favorite working with Harry and Chip Caray on Cubs broadcasts.
"I understand that, D.J. does, Stoney does," Harrelson said. "Ratings dictate a lot of things. Stoney has a huge following in Chicago. When they told me they were thinking about doing this, I understood."
The move seems to close the door on the possibility that Stone will be involved in a Cubs ownership group.
He's a Sox guy now, through and through.
"I know there are a lot of players who have played for both sides of town, but I do believe I'm the only broadcaster who has done radio on both sides of town and now television on both sides of town," Stone said. "The fans on both sides of Chicago have treated me so well that it didn't matter who I was working with or who I was playing with."
TV jobs are generally more desirable than radio gigs for three reasons: There's more prestige, they pay more and they allow the broadcasters to take breathers during the season. Fox and ESPN have combined to broadcast nearly a dozen Sox games this season.
"We haven't gotten to that stage where we would talk about salary," Jackson said. "We'll talk more if I decide this is something I want to do."
(trib)