On Monday, the Chicago White Sox announced that they would not extend the contract of John Schriffen, the team’s lead TV play-by-play voice since 2024.
It does sound as though there are too many people around Chicago sports radio all that broken up about it.
The 42-year-old Schriffen became the team’s lead television play-by-play broadcaster before the 2024 season, replacing Jason Benetti, who left to become the voice of the Detroit Tigers amid issues related to the organization. Replacing Benetti, a celebrated national voice, was an uphill climb, and Schriffen faced heavy criticism including an intense feud with Chicago radio host Matt Spiegel.
The 670 The Score host took the announcer to task over his perceived lack of baseball knowledge. Schriffen responded to that criticism, referring to ‘radio losers‘ in response. There was also some handshake-related drama when they met in person that cemented the disdain.
After the news broke on Monday, Spiegel shared his thoughts on Spiegel & Holmes, saying that while he thought the White Sox announcer had improved, it was nowhere near what the franchise needed.
Matt Spiegel on the White Sox letting John Schriffen go: “I’ve held back my feelings for the better part of two years since being very vocal on them in year one because I didn’t want to punch at a guy who was out here just trying to do his job. But this is a moment for me to be honest. I think he was terrible. I think the White Sox can do better, and they will do better.”
— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) October 26, 2026
“I do believe that he got better to an extent,” said Spiegel. “but I think there were plenty of moments this year where I was still like, man, watch the game. Just think the game. Just feel the freaking game. And it wasn’t happening.
“I also personally had trouble with what seemed like a lack of authenticity as I felt it. Like, it needs to be a really comfortable feel for me to hang out with a play-by-play person for a long time, and I didn’t really get that from John. But that’s me personally.
“I’ve held back my feelings for the better part of two years since being very vocal on them in year one, because I didn’t want to punch at a guy who was out here just trying to do his job. But this is a moment for me to be honest. I think he was terrible, and I think the White Sox can do better, and they will do better.”
Dan Bernstein took it a step further. The former 670 The Score host, who now hosts Dan Bernstein Unfiltered on the 312 Sports Network, said that the news only makes him angrier than Benetti is no longer the TV voice of the Sox.
“I’m not celebrating [John Schriffen departing the White Sox broadcasts], and here’s why. It reaffirms and rekindles my distaste over the fact that Jason Benetti isn’t the White Sox guy for the rest of his life,” said Bernstein on Monday’s episode. “Or at least hasn’t been in a position here where he’s got the chance if he wants, as he goes about everything else nationally. If he just wants to have his regular job. It should be here, and should have been here. I’m never going to shake that.
“… I’m never going to shake the miss, the mistake, the folly. That was somehow allowing Jason Benetti, a lifelong White Sox fan, a brilliant broadcaster and a prince of a guy to walk out that door for dumb reasons.”
Bernstein also got fairly direct, saying “[John] Schriffen was an *sshole and pissed off a lot of really hardworking, nice people when he walked in.”
“Everybody just hated the guy when he arrived, and thought that he was dismissive, arrogant, entitled, difficult, and demanding,” he continued. “[He] eschewed all kinds of good faith, well offered advice. He should never have had this job and wasn’t ready for it.”
The White Sox said they will begin a search for Schriffen’s replacement immediately.
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