Chicago Sports Network field reporter Brooke Fletcher made history Tuesday, becoming the White Sox’ first female dedicated TV analyst. Fletcher, the daughter of former Sox infielder Scott Fletcher, joined John Schriffen in place of Steve Stone, who was out with an illness.
“I’m honored,” Fletcher said before the Sox’ game against the Guardians. “I’m really appreciative that the White Sox believed and trusted in me [at the] last minute, and I know I have big shoes to fill with Steve.”
Fletcher, though, isn’t the first woman in the Sox’ TV booth. Play-by-play voice Mary Shane was in the booth for much of the 1977 season with Harry Caray, Lorn Brown and Jimmy Piersall on WSNS-Channel 44. She also broadcast on WMAQ-AM, adding analysis on both, as well.
Connor McKnight was unavailable because of his TV duties for Sox Serve Week. Fletcher learned she’d be in the booth at around 4 p.m., affording her little time to prepare.
“Well, my prep is a lot different as a sideline reporter than it would be as an analyst,” she said. “The big thing is taking that sideline approach and share these stories and just being me. That’s the biggest thing. The White Sox fan base, they know who I am, and they know what I bring day in and day out. I’m still going to be me but just from a different vantage point.”
It wasn’t Fletcher’s first time in the booth. She joined McKnight for the Sox’ Spring Breakout game in March, but a regular-season game in a division race is at another level. Fletcher texted her husband, Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth, when she found out.
“ ‘I think I’m going to be in the booth tonight,’ and he goes, ‘Wait, what?’ ” she said. “I called him, and he was like, ‘You got this. You know baseball and grew up around it.’ He’s like, ‘Go have fun and just be you.’ He sent me a long text. I haven’t had a chance to read it, but I’m sure it’s encouraging and being a good husband.”
Teel gets day off
Kyle Teel was out of the lineup Tuesday after catching all nine innings Monday in his first game back from hamstring and knee injuries. Drew Romo caught and batted ninth.
“[It’s] more about not catching back-to-back out of the gate here,” manager Will Venable said. “The ramp-up for him has been so sporadic, we want to make sure that he’s getting his feet underneath him in a spot where he’s not catching every day.”
With a day off Thursday, Teel figures to be back in the lineup for the series finale Wednesday.
Notes
Venable said the Sox don’t yet know how they’ll fill the spot in the rotation that required a bullpen day Saturday when it comes up next, likely next week against the Orioles.
“We’re still a long way away from that, but we think that it will be a starter,” Venable said. “At the same time, if we’re in a spot where we have what we need to cover it in our bullpen, that’s an option, too.”
• The Sox’ walk-off victory Monday was their sixth of the season, tied with the Mariners for the most in the American League entering Tuesday.
• The Sox’ 15 one-run victories were tied with the Phillies for the most in the majors. They entered Tuesday 15-8 in one-run games.
• Randal Grichuk’s pinch-hit home run Monday was his major-league-leading third of the season, giving the Sox an MLB-leading six.