The Chicago White Sox suffered one of the worst seasons in the history of Major League Baseball as they set a new loss record. But their troubles weren’t limited to those on the field, they also hit the broadcast booth as well with embattled first year announcer John Schriffen.
Schriffen walked in to a very tough situation, calling a team that was destined for failure, and replacing a popular announcer in Jason Benetti. But it seemed like everything that could go wrong for him in his first season in Chicago did go wrong.
Schriffen was plagued by criticism of his over-excited and rosy calls and repeatedly got into feuds with other media personalities in Chicago. In our 2024 MLB Announcer Rankings, the White Sox finished dead last, and it wasn’t due to longtime analyst Steve Stone.
So ahead of his second season in Chicago, John Schriffen opened up in a feature piece with the Chicago Tribune about how he called last year a “growing year” and how he might approach games differently this year.
“Last year was a huge growing year for me, not only as a broadcaster but as a person,” he said. “I think it was a tough season because of what I walked into. I knew what the challenges were going to be. You have a team where we knew they weren’t going to be very good. Taking over for a broadcaster (Jason Benetti) that everybody loved. We had a network that was changing hands, so they weren’t involved as (they normally would be)
“Looking back on things, maybe I came in a little too hot. I was so excited, and I wanted everyone to feel that — the passion I had for baseball. And for some it probably came off wrong. It was a different tone.
“But going through that, I think I have a better understanding of who I am as a person and just ‘what even matters in life?’ So many people are coming at you in so many different ways. Some people love you, and some people don’t. At the end of the day, how do things sit well with yourself? That’s what I took away from the season, being my own worst critic.”
Schriffen also talked about the waves of criticism he received, including those from his cohorts in the Chicago media. He was very quick to combat that last season, but after having lived through the tumultuous campaign of 2024, he says that it’ll be easier not to be baited by the critiques.
“It’s easier said than done, right?” he said. “Until you’re in a position where you have so many things coming at you, it’s easy to say, ‘Well, just ignore them.’ But understanding it now, having gone through it, it’s a lot easier to step aside and not respond to that stuff.
“I’m a competitive person. I’ve played sports my entire life. When you have things out there you didn’t think were accurate, naturally you’d want to go back (at them). I’ve learned that’s not the best stance. It’s not the best way to go about things. That’s part of the growth. Having one year under my belt in Major League Baseball and understanding everything that comes with a long season (will help) being better in Year 2.”
Things can’t go much worse for the Chicago White Sox in 2025 than they did in 2024. But if they don’t improve on the diamond, hopefully things will be a bit more peaceful and calm with John Schriffen in the broadcast booth and he can start to connect with fans and colleagues a bit more positively.
