FanHouse Darrin Jackson

While some scoff at White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson's advert homerism, there's a certain realism to it. Hey, he likes his team and he's not going to act objectively about it. Good for him.

This is no more apparent than in the above clip during what looked to be a Nick Swisher homer in a game earlier this week against the A's. (Dagummit!)

Oh, and if you're wondering what his partner Darrin Jackson is like, just listen to his enthusiasm after the catch. Man, that guy should probably chill out on the Red Bull.

Via Home Run Derby.

I haven't exactly been quiet about my feelings towards the White Sox and general manager Kenny Williams this winter. I've grown tired of hearing how the Sox were going to go after Torii Hunter, Kosuke Fukudome, Aaron Rowand, Miguel Cabrera, and Andruw Jones only to see every single one of them wind up elsewhere.

Oh sure, the Sox locked up a World Series appearance by trading for the vaunted Carlos Quentin, but Quentin shouldn't have to carry the load on his own!

Just when I was about to give up hope, the White Sox made an announcement on Thursday that while it won't help the team win any games, it will at least make listening to them lose a lot more tolerable. Steve Stone is going to be doing a few Sox games from the radio booth.

Stone, who has worked for WSCR-AM (670) the last two years as a baseball analyst, will expand his duties this summer for the White Sox' flagship station, joining radio team Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton in the booth for Friday home games.

'I'll get a chance to enjoy doing baseball in Chicago again,'' Stone said Wednesday. ''I've gotten along so well with [Farmer and Singleton], and [team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf] and I have been friends for a long time. He's one of the guys I really respect.

''It will be an unusual team. Ed will do play-by-play, and Chris and I will get to talk about how you set up hitters and go from there. It'll be fun.''

Stone filled in for White Sox tv analyst Darrin Jackson for a week last season, and that was by far the best week of the season to watch the White Sox on television. Yeah, they kept losing, but at least Stone made listening to the games tolerable. Instead of hearing about Hawk Harrelson's golf game, Sox fans were treated to actual analysis of a baseball game.

Hopefully Stone's tour in the radio booth will turn into a full time job come 2009, be it on the radio or television. The city of Chicago needs him.

With White Sox TV analyst Hawk Harrelson's right hand man, Darrin Jackson, out for a few games to tend to the birth of a child, Steve Stone has filled the void.

For now, I'll avoid getting into the debate about who is far superior (See: Stone, Steve) and just alert you to the fact that Stone called Juan Uribe's walkoff homer in the bottom of the 13th last night against the Tribe. Via Sox Machine:

During Scott Podsednik's at-bat, here was the banter between Stone and Hawk Harrelson:

Stone: Well, I think you got the guy who's going to end this game in the on-deck circle... what a tough night defensively for Uribe, but he can certainly make up for it.
Hawk: Is that your story?
Stone: Yup, I think that's what's going to happen.
Hawk: And he's sticking to it.

And as Uribe went ¡profundo!:

Hawk: And that ball hit hard! Way back! Sizemore looks up! You can put it on the boaaaaaaaaaaard, YES, STONE PONY!
Stone: [after a beat] Thank you. First time to go, Hawk, that's just the way it is.

Ah Stoney, as even-keeled and confident as ever. Get this man a beverage, I say.