The Detroit tigers association has decided to announce the new…
When the Detroit Tigers last made significant modifications to their television broadcast booth five years ago, they hired an internal employee. After parting ways with play-by-play man Matt Shepard this offseason, they decided to go all out.
The Tigers hired Jason Benetti from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, signing one of the country’s most regarded announcers to a multi-year contract.
Benetti will broadcast at least 127 games each year. When Benetti is away calling national games, Dan Dickerson, a longtime radio play-by-play guy, will take over the TV booth. Benetti stated the Tigers contacted his agency after the season to see if he would be interested in the Tigers’ job, providing the White Sox permitted him to interview. Benneti responded affirmatively, and the White Sox allowed him to explore the chance. Benetti held two Zoom sessions with Tigers officials before traveling to Detroit for an in-person meeting.
His dominant impression? “They want to put together a telecast that is phenomenal.” Benetti stated that he would not have accepted the job if this were not the case. Benetti, 40, grew up in the Chicago suburbs, cheering for the White Sox. When he joined the team’s broadcast booth in 2016, he couldn’t have asked for a better position. Thus, the decision to depart for Detroit was not an easy one. “What (the Tigers) wanted in an announcer is what I fancy myself as,” Benetti stated. “You can’t say no to someone whose ideas are so similar to your own. People might interpret that as something against the White Sox. It is not. It’s simply that sometimes you arrive at a location and say, “Oh my gosh, this
Benetti expressed gratitude to the White Sox for the opportunity they provided him. Benetti has cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that manifests in early childhood and permanently impairs body mobility and muscle coordination. “The White Sox hired me, a person who doesn’t walk normally, to be a front-facing person in the organization in 2016,” stated Benetti. “They are the sole reason I am here today. “I’m aware of what people may say about my departure and other issues. But the White Sox did not have to give me permission to pursue this possibility. And there are a lot of wonderful folks there that I care strongly about. So what I’m saying about the Tigers is not a reflection of the White.
