Sciambi enjoys a strong relationship with Cubs manager David Ross after working with him in the ESPN boothESPN IMAGES
Marquee Sports Network yesterday named Jon "Boog" Sciambi as the Cubs' new play-by-play voice, a move that "will help give Marquee the national feel that network executives have wanted since the cable channel launched last February," according to Mooney & Sharma of THE ATHLETIC. Sciambi "enjoys a strong relationship" with Cubs manager David Ross after working with him in the ESPN booth and "covering him as a Braves TV announcer." Sciambi (radio) and former Cub's play-by-plan man Len Kasper (TV) "overlapped as members of the broadcasting crew for the Marlins" from '02-04, so Sciambi is "friendly with Kasper and has immense respect for the popular broadcaster who spent the last 16 seasons around the Cubs" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/4).
SCIAMBI TO CONTINUE WITH ESPN: In Chicago, Jeff Agrest notes Sciambi has been with ESPN full-time since '10, serving as the radio voice for “Sunday Night Baseball” and the TV voice for “Wednesday Night Baseball” since '14. Sciambi "will continue to work as a multiplatform broadcaster for ESPN, but he said the Cubs are his priority." Marquee GM Mike McCarthy said that Sciambi "would call about as many games for the Cubs as Kasper did, roughly 130 based on a 162-game season." Sciambi said that he "still would call some Sunday night games, in addition to the MLB playoffs and college basketball, for ESPN." McCarthy said that the net "would discuss its plans for fill-ins later" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/5).
GETTING THE RIGHT GUY: In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal notes Sciambi is "recognized as one of the best announcers in the game." Marquee did "not say who will fill in when Sciambi is taking time off or working for ESPN, but its announcement did list Fox’s Chris Myers" among its lineup. Myers was supposed to be an "occasional backup for Kasper last season before the schedule was upended by COVID-19." The Cubs and Marquee "shot down reports last month Myers was a leading candidate to succeed Kasper, which had been met with with social media resistance" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/5). McCarthy said that there was "'quite a bit of interest' in the job Kasper held with the Cubs for 16 years." McCarthy: "We had small market, we had large market (candidates). To be perfectly blunt and honest, we had one guy really in mind that we were hopeful of, and this is the guy we now have the proud opportunity to announce as our new play-by-play man" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 1/5).
