NEWSLETTER
Nobody likes change, and it’s good to know that at least one very important part of our Chicago Cubs fan experience will not be changing …
- The Cubs have made it officially official on Pat and Ron, staying in the radio booth:
- May they never leave. The full announcement from the team:
“The Chicago Cubs, along with Audacy’s 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) today announced multiyear contract extensions for radio play-by-play broadcaster Pat Hughes and analyst Ron Coomer.
“Pat and Ron have been with our fans for many of the most memorable moments in Cubs history,” said Cubs Chief Commercial Officer Colin Faulkner. “Their voices are synonymous with Cubs baseball and the voices of our summer. We are thrilled they will continue to bring their passion and expertise to our fans for years to come.”
Hughes will celebrate his 30th season as the radio voice of the Cubs in 2025, originally joining the club in 1996. He was also inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, receiving the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. Hughes has been named Illinois Sportscaster of the Year nine times, earning the award most recently in 2018.
“We join Cubs fans around the world in celebrating having Pat and Ron back next season and beyond,” said Mitch Rosen, Vice President and Brand Manager of 670 The Score. “He and Coom make a fantastic team, and they truly are the voices of Spring and Summer in Chicagoland and around the country. It will be extra special to celebrate Pat’s 30th season behind the mic for Cubs baseball in 2025.”
Coomer, who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball from 1995-2003, will be alongside Hughes for his 12th season in the booth in 2025. Coomer played for the Cubs in 2001, batting .261 with 19 doubles, eight home runs and 53 RBI in 91 games. He was an MLB All-Star in 1999 as a member of the Minnesota Twins and spent time in the major leagues with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fans can hear Hughes and Coomer call all 162 regular season games, plus select Spring Training and all postseason games, on 670 The Score, the Cubs’ flagship radio station and Cubs Radio Network affiliates across seven states. Games can also be streamed via the free Audacy app and website within the team’s geographic region.”
- Daniel Palencia is pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League:
- There wasn’t quite a need for Palenica to make up innings, but he actually did miss some time this year, so the total volume is fine. He’s thrown 12 innings in Venezuela, allowing 8 runs on 15 hits and 7 walks, striking out 15. Palencia, 24, will still be on that optionable group of relievers in 2025, where you hope he breaks out and establishes himself, but can be shuttled up and down if he does not. It’s easy to forget that 2024 was Palencia’s first full year as a reliever (his conversion came after a couple months of starting in 2023), and also he has had so little pro experience compared to his contemporaries (he barely has more than 200 innings pitched TOTAL at the professional level – not MLB, at ALL the affiliated levels combined). The talent is undeniable, and it just feels like he needs the reps.
- After being booted by the Giants, Farhan Zaidi may be going back to the Dodgers’ front office. I’m sure the Giants would kinda hate that, because Zaidi knows everything about the org. Imagine taking one of the most important people in an organization from a division rival, you know? Surely that would lead to you immediately whooping that rival every time you played in the following season. SURELY.
- Matt Shaw, Moises Ballesteros, and Ben Brown are getting the profile treatment from Cubs Productions:
- The last remaining Diamond/Bally club is staying on board with a new deal, and will be part of the FanDuel rebrand:
Royals have a new TV deal, and will stay with Diamond Sports, which has been rebranded from Bally Sports KC to FanDuel Sports Network.
— Royals Review (@royalsreview.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 11:34 AM
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- So the full accounting is as follows. The new FanDuel Sports Network teams (on short-term deals): Royals, Cardinals, Marlins, Tigers, Braves, Rays, and Angels. The teams trying to get a new TV deal elsewhere: Rangers and Reds. The teams whose operations have already been taken over by MLB, or will be for 2025: Padres, Diamondbacks, Twins, Guardians, Brewers (Rockies, too, though they were not a Bally team). There is finally some certainty now, but the revenue is going to be choppy for a few years for these teams (and, well, frankly lots of other teams, too).
- Less that four bucks per game:
- Reminiscent of Tom Brady:
- I’d forgotten about this:
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- Matas Buzelis had his first of what we hope are many, many career nights.
