After three seasons, John Scriffen’s run as the White Sox’s lead play-by-play voice is over.
The team told him his contract will not be renewed, ending a stretch that was loud, polarizing and, for better or worse, impossible to ignore. Scriffen’s departure had been building for a while.
A chunk of the fan base had already soured on what they saw as “manufactured enthusiasm” and a thin feel for the game, and his choice to miss the White Sox’s playoff-clinching game in order to attend a UFC event only poured fuel on the fire. He had off days built into his contract and did nothing wrong technically, but the move reportedly didn’t sit well with the front office.
There were also whispers, according to Dan Bernstein, that Scriffen rubbed people the wrong way when he first arrived. Bernstein said he came off as “dismissive” and “arrogant,” which created tension around the White Sox broadcast crew. That description carries a little irony, considering Bernstein has dealt with similar criticism from 670 The Score listeners before being fired after a social media dustup involving a fish.
Even with all the criticism, Scriffen’s White Sox tenure was never dull.
He feuded with radio stations, tried to pump life into a 121-loss team, growled like a panther, wondered aloud whether a hitter on a 3-0 count had the green light, and unleashed the kind of “Show Me the Mune” home run calls that stuck in your head whether you wanted them to or not. The booth was never quiet for long.
Not all of the heat aimed at him was fair, either. Scriffen has a strong broadcasting voice, and once the White Sox started getting better, the over-the-top energy that felt almost out of place during the 2024 season began to make more sense. By 2026, that same style fit the team’s rise and turned some of those big calls into genuinely fun moments.
He also made an effort with fans. Scriffen showed up at tailgates, took time before games for photos, and was approachable in ways that mattered.
In my two personal interactions with him, he left a good impression both times. I was surprised, first, to find him in Lot B an hour before first pitch, and second, by how easy he was to talk to.
Still, effort and results are not the same thing.
His timing was brutal. He followed Jason Benetti, a Chicagoland native and one of the best broadcasters in the business, and stepped into a White Sox booth during one of the franchise’s most miserable stretches.
It is hard enough to sell a fan base on a 41-win team. It became even tougher when the broadcast itself sometimes felt like part of the problem.
Scriffen’s lack of familiarity with the franchise was noticeable at times, including how to pronounce Bill Veeck’s name, and he often seemed to have only a basic grip on the nuances of baseball. That became more obvious alongside Steve Stone, whose depth of knowledge is so vast that the contrast could be jarring.
The repeated questions about whether a hitter had the green light on a 3-0 count became a running theme. If you took a shot every time that came up, you’d be blackout drunk multiple times a week.
When Stone was out of the booth and Scriffen had to shoulder more of the broadcast himself, the gaps stood out even more. He was fine with Dan Plesac. With Gordon Beckham in the booth, though, the shortcomings were harder to miss.
That said, broadcasting live over 162 games is not easy, and mistakes are part of the job. Scriffen did improve, and his third season was better than his first.
But the turnaround came too late for a team that was becoming one of baseball’s most exciting clubs. The White Sox needed a voice that could keep pace.
Scriffen should land somewhere else just fine. He still calls UFC events, where his big, booming style fits naturally, and that same energy should work in national college football and basketball broadcasts.
For the White Sox, the search begins again.
“John has been a true professional throughout his three seasons with the White Sox, bringing energy, enthusiasm, and a distinctive style to our broadcasts,” White Sox Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer Brooks Boyer said in a statement. “As his contract comes to an end, we believe this is the appropriate time to evaluate the direction of our broadcasts and determine what is best for the organization and our fans moving forward.
We are appreciative of John’s contributions and the connection he built with our fan base. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”
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