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Sox's search could head North


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WSCR-AM 670 is expected to go the conventional route and select a former player or manager with Chicago ties to fill the vacancy in the White Sox radio booth next season.

 

But in the words of program director Mitch Rosen, the station could look "outside the box."

 

 

"If we found someone with a strong name in the community who has a passion for baseball and the White Sox, we would look at that person," Rosen said.

 

If that's the case, Rosen merely has to look down the hall at his own morning man. Yes, Mike North is going to make his pitch for the job as color commentator.

 

North confirmed he will meet with White Sox officials Tuesday. The team is in the initial stages of trying to identify a new partner to work with Ed Farmer when WSCR takes over the rights next year. Farmer will serve as the new play-by-play voice, replacing John Rooney.

 

Hiring North for the radio broadcasts could have some Sox fans hiding in a box. A polarizing personality, North definitely would veer from the traditional analyst's role.

 

North knows he is a "long shot" for the job. But he does have some attributes that could make sense for the Sox and the station.

 

For starters, he is a die-hard Sox fan.

 

"As a Sox fan, who wouldn't want to do it?" North said.

 

Don't discount the fact that he has a good relationship with team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. Also, this is a different scenario than in 1999, when North talked to the Sox about replacing Tom Paciorek as the television analyst.

 

As the rights holder, WSCR might warm to the idea of airing North in the morning and then at night for the games. North insists he would maintain his 6-10 a.m. program, saying he still could do the show on the road.

 

"It would be a grind, but a good grind," he said.

 

Frankly, there isn't enough caffeine to keep North going on that kind of a schedule.

 

More importantly, the Sox might not want a loose cannon in the booth. North did earn his reputation by a willingness to say anything about anybody.

 

North counters by saying he realizes talk radio is different than working color for a baseball game.

 

"There's ways of doing it without ruffling feathers," North said. "You can't always keep bashing, but you've got to tell the truth too."

 

North then added, "If they are worried about political correctness, the last guy they should be worried about is me, considering the manager (Ozzie Guillen) they have."

 

At the end of the process, it is hard to envision the Sox and WSCR will go with North as the full-time analyst.

 

Then again, upsets occur in sports. That's why they play the games—and do the interviews.

 

Other potential candidates

 

As for the more traditional analysts, some possibilities include former managers Jeff Torborg and Jim Fregosi, and former players such as Steve Lyons, Ron Kittle and John Cangelosi. And there will be plenty of others.

 

Steve Stone, who is working as an analyst for WSCR, would be the ideal candidate, but he also would seem to be a long shot. If he hooks up with another team, it likely will be for television games.

 

"I really haven't given it a lot of thought," Stone said Monday. "John and Ed deserve to finish out the season first."

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I can't stand Mike North. He's obnoxious and rarely offers any good insights about anything. I find it wholy depressing that someone in my desired field of employment can go from running a hot dog stand to having a massive multi-year contract. I'm pretty sure I would still have more sports knowledge than North if I were in a coma, but I'm having some trouble getting started. I'll be seriously pissed if he gets the open spot.

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

 

A thousand times NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

 

He doesn't make any sense on his own show, how the hell is he going to keep track of a baseball game for the listeners? We'll need to turn on WGN for updates to find out what the hell happened!

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

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QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 12, 2005 -> 10:33 PM)
Isn't Torborg's son associated with the team?  You know, the wrestler formerly known as the Demon in WCW!

 

Yes. I believe he's on the training crew, in some shape or form.

 

Also, I've heard Torborg state many times how much he loves the organization.

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As I said in the original John Rooney thread, Mike North would have a major say in who gets this job beacuse he controls a lof of advertisers on that station, and is seen as it's star, meaning he gets his way on most things....Plus, he's close friends with Jerry Reinsdord, and this all kind of adds up..

 

From the Score perspective, they may actually not see it as the worst idea in the world because it may give them the opportunity to start a new morning show - his 'debates' with Annie are just the typical talking points, and aren't very intelligent, while Fred is nothing more than an update guy.

 

As a color analyst, I'm sure North will offer up 'analysis' in the heat of the moment, but I just don't see him as a baseball expert who would provide any insight into the game...Basically, he'd just be a fan in the booth.

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I like Mike North, but i don't think he's a good fit in the booth. Torborg has great respect for the White Sox organization. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets the job. I'm still iffy on Farmer being the new play-by-play. He's a great color-man- but man he can be boring sometimes when he takes the play-by-play when Rooney takes a break.

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On North's Morning show, he is allegedly the only Chicago baseball show in Chicago. Yet, whenever I flip through the stations he is talking about something else. Could you imagine it being a key point in the game and this goof talking about how beautiful he thinks Condi Rice is. Mike North is unitelligible and unlistenable.

 

NO NORTH

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