Eric Karros was an unmistakable fan favorite for the Chicago Cubs in 2003. He’d come over from the Dodgers in a bad contract swap (together with Mark Grudzielanek in a deal that ridded the Cubs of Todd Hundley), and immediately made an impact both in the clubhouse and on the field. He ceded time to Hee-Seop Choi (and the two ultimately platooned), but he had something of a resurgent year at age 35. That it happened during that magical 2003 run only cemented his spot among the pantheon of Cubs legends – the ones who actually didn’t play that long, or that well relatively speaking, for the Cubs.
Could he parlay those good memories – and a brief broadcasting career – into one of the most plum gigs in all of local sports? From Gordon Wittenmyer:
Wasting no time in putting together a high-caliber pool of candidates to replace Bob Brenly in the TV booth, the Cubs this week have created a buzz among broadcasters here after contacting analysts working the Series for national outlets — including former Cub players Eric Karros of Fox and Rick Sutcliffe of ESPN and MLB International.
Karros, who was called by business operations president Crane Kenney just before the Series opened this week, looks like an early front-runner considering his strong qualifications and that — unlike many potential candidates — he has the freedom to pursue the job ….
The Cubs’ recent interest in Karros started with an unsuccessful bid to get him to consider the radio job eventually filled by Keith Moreland before the 2011 season. This time, the attraction is mutual.
“I absolutely have interest,’’ said Karros, who’s part of the World Series coverage team for Fox. “Two years ago radio didn’t make a lot of sense, but this opportunity is very intriguing.’’
When I’ve heard Karros on-air, I’ve enjoyed him. And, I’ll confess, I thought he was excellent in ‘Catching Hell.’ I could see the fit there, and it will be interesting to hear if he comes in for some kind of formal interview after the World Series ends.