With Hawk gone now, and with Jason Benetti now settling in as the full-time play-by-play guy, I thought it would be interesting to see how White Sox Nation feels about both Benetti and Steve Stone on how they go about their respective duties as the PBP guy and color analyst, respectively, and how we feel they do as partners in the broadcast booth.  

I think benetti is pretty decent, I just wish he'd put the thesaurus away. 

When they try to do any sort of comical interaction it always falls flat. 

Stone is good despite being old school. 

I have criticized them in the past but think they have been fantastic this season

 

The Mt Eloy call is bad but I otherwise love benetti

For what it's worth, the r/baseball board made of fans from across baseball loves Benetti and Stone as a pairing. Whenever they're mentioned, fans from other teams call them the best announcing duo.

I like Benetti but I don't like Stone. Together, I think the chemistry is awkward. I'd rather have Benetti and someone else. 

Edited May 7, 20196 yr by Jack Parkman

As a big fan of the Sox, I love that Benetti is one too.  Some of his humor is really bad...if I never hear anything else about the prize shelf I would be very happy.  But all in all Benetti is a professional who will just get better as the product on the field (hopefully) does.

Stone is incredibly knowledgeable about the game and I have always liked him.

As a team I think they work well but interestingly whenever my wife watches part of the game with me and she hears how Stone talks to Benetti, her take is that Stone guy really hates that other guy.

11 minutes ago, joejoedairy said:

I think benetti is pretty decent, I just wish he'd put the thesaurus away. 

When they try to do any sort of comical interaction it always falls flat. 

Stone is good despite being old school. 

I actually give Stone some credit. He’s more more open to how the game has evolved than most guys his age - especially former players his age. 

 

I agree the comical interaction can be annoying, but only when it appears to take priority over the game itself. This seems to be happening less this year. Jason seems to be settling in and not trying so hard. 

I like them a lot. 

5 minutes ago, wegner said:

As a team I think they work well but interestingly whenever my wife watches part of the game with me and she hears how Stone talks to Benetti, her take is that Stone guy really hates that other guy.

Did she never watch a game with Hawk?

13 minutes ago, Quin said:

For what it's worth, the r/baseball board made of fans from across baseball loves Benetti and Stone as a pairing. Whenever they're mentioned, fans from other teams call them the best announcing duo.

That subreddit in the whole just likes anything white sox. Basically because the Sox are the antithesis of ESPN from what I can gather.

1 minute ago, mqr said:

Did she never watch a game with Hawk?

Haha, I think she only watched those innings where Hawk was silent 90% of the time. 

2 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

That subreddit in the whole just likes anything white sox. Basically because the Sox are the antithesis of ESPN from what I can gather.

I got a good laugh when a Giants fan said they didn't expect the White Sox to be one of the most fun teams in baseball this year after Nicky's walkoff. A White Sox fan responded that the Giants fan only got the highlights.

Farmy and DJ to me are hilarious. Whenever i turn the radio on to check the score i chuckle at something. JB and stone are fine.

38 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

I have criticized them in the past but think they have been fantastic this season

 

I'm the same way.  They were always fooling around and Benetti was differential to every thing Stone said.  Now they are working to stay on baseball topics and Jason has an adult conversation with Stone.  Growing on me.

I WAS NOT a fan of Benetti when he first started and his online attempted "comedy routine" with Stone got woefully annoying last year. That being said...I've complete 180 on Benetti and think they've done a really great job this year. Stoney in particular.  Beats the shit out of listening to Hawk prattle on and on about Yaz...or Ted Williams.

All I know is that the radio broadcast is god awful. 

1 minute ago, Whitesox27 said:

All I know is that the radio broadcast is god awful. 

Jackson is fine but Farmer is not my cup of tea.

3 minutes ago, Whitesox27 said:

All I know is that the radio broadcast is god awful. 

Farmer is a lot like Hawk, but he doesn't have the benefit of being able to see the game yourself so he he is wayyyyyyyyyyy worse. And I couldn't stand hawk for the better part of the last decade. 

Jason has definitely improved this year.

 

Farmer and DJ are an acquired taste.

I've moved to "neutral".  There are a lot of bad crews out there.  I usually try and catch the out of town broadcast and the quality isn't great.  Yesterday the Tribe's play by play guy made an incredibly cringe monologue on TA and "playing the right way".  I had to mute it from the 2nd hand embarrassment.

 

So relative to the rest of the league they are OK.  Jason has def gotten better this year but FFS he needs to get a HR call.  His calls are awful.

Just now, chitownsportsfan said:

I've moved to "neutral".  There are a lot of bad crews out there.  I usually try and catch the out of town broadcast and the quality isn't great.  Yesterday the Tribe's play by play guy made an incredibly cringe monologue on TA and "playing the right way".  I had to mute it from the 2nd hand embarrassment.

 

So relative to the rest of the league they are OK.  Jason has def gotten better this year but FFS he needs to get a HR call.  His calls are awful.

Enough time has passed that he can adopt "Put it on the board." He grew up a Sox fan. Get Hawk's blessing.

I don't like some of the cornball stuff, but these broadcasts are well done. No more Hawk talking about the 1967 Red Sox or moaning about every strike-ball call. Stone's color is very good. Benetti comes across as a likable guy.  It took a little time, but these two guys seem to be hitting it off now.

Jason is growing into the job, it doesn't happen over night at least he is miles above the final few years of Hawk who was getting almost "Harry Caray" bad (and this was after Harry's medical issues.)

Stone is simply the best analyst in the business.

Farmer would be right there as well if only they'd move him out of the play by play role which he is not suited for. 

Edited May 8, 20196 yr by Lip Man 1

I can't stand Benetti's cheesy puns and jokes but I do enjoy a dry Steve Stone trolling the hell out of him when he does it.