Catching Up With White Sox Radio Network's Len Kasper
Posted by ABRockNJock on May 14, 2026, 1:33 pm
For 16 years and for the first season of Marquee Sports Network in the pandemic-shortened 2020 MLB season, Len Kasper was the soundtrack to Cubs' games on TV, calling the games there with Jim Deshaies as well as Bob Brenly.
There were many eyes raised when Kasper left the Cubs' TV booth to become the principal radio voice of the White Sox in 2021, coinciding with the team relocating its radio rights from 720 AM WGN Radio to ESPN 1000. Why did Kasper make the switch?
The answer is because Kasper wanted to call a World Series on his team's hometown RADIO station. It's something that Kasper simply can't do on the TV side, which was something he was accustomed to doing on the North Side.
As the Cubs & Sox prepare for the first of 2 Crosstown Series this weekend at Rate Field, Kasper covered a lot of ground with the Sun-Times' Jeff Agrest.
Now in his 6th season as the Sox radio voice, Kasper discussed meshing with veteran radio analyst and former Sox outfielder Darrin Jackson, calling back to back seasons in which the Sox lost over 100 games, as well as listening to legendary Detroit Tigers' Radio announcer Ernie Harwell.
Kasper & Agrest cover a lot of bases in this link:
I appreciate the kind words. There have been many people who have worked BOTH sides of town in this White Sox/Cubs' matchup over the years. Not just players, but broadcasters as well.
I think what happened when Len Kasper left the Cubs' TV booth for White Sox Radio, it was on his own terms. Plus, the Sox actually had an opening in its radio booth when Ed Farmer passed away at age 70 on April Fool's Day in 2020.
Farmer, also a former Sox pitcher & John Rooney's radio analyst when the Sox won it all in 2005, had a lengthy battle with kidney disease.
Andy Masur was pressed into service to call the Sox final season on 720 AM WGN Radio in the pandemic-shortened summer of 2020. I don't know if Masur could've followed the Sox up the dial to ESPN 1000 AM when the ESPN Radio outlet re-acquired the radio rights in 2021. Masur is now Sports Director at WGN Radio.
Something else to consider. When the Cubs moved their radio broadcasts from 780 AM WBBM to 670 AM (And now 104.3 FM) The SCORE in 2016, Kasper was only utilized on the radio side for national TV games that the Cubs were involved in. Kasper's role on those broadcasts with Pat Hughes, Ron Coomer & pre/postgame host Mark Grote back then were limited at best.
That being said, Hughes isn't a spring chicken anymore. Pat turns 71 in 2 weeks. He's called a lot of Cubs' games in a career that has spanned 31 years on the North Side alone. I'm not so sure current Cubs Radio pre & postgame host Zach Zaidman is next in line should Hughes retire at some point. This despite the fact Zaidman calls quite a few games himself, not just for the Cubs but also the veteran radio voice of DePaul basketball now on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
If Hughes were to retire, I wonder if the first 2 calls would be to get Kasper back behind the mic or if Alex Cohen would be the heir apparent. We shall see...And hear in due time.
on May 14, 2026, 1:33 pm