I’m sick of this and it’s time for White Sox fans to take a stand. Our radio crew is the worst in the business.

We used to be right at the top. John Rooney and Ed Farmer were like peanut butter and jelly. In 2005, USA Today ranked them only behind Vin Scully as the best broadcasting team in baseball.

Today, I wouldn’t rank them ahead our own WSUM crew that broadcasts the UW softball games.

Last year I was all over Chris Singleton. He had no passion and never painted a picture of what was going on. I’ve been to 1000 baseball games in my life and he  some how makes me forget where left field is.

Singleton is a little bit better this year, but that isn’t saying much. The bigger issue I have this season is that Farmer is now as boring as Singleton. I don’t know if Singleton ****** the life out of Farmer or if Farmer is just not suited for play-by-play, but the radio team is somehow worse this season than it was last year.

The bad news for Sox fans is that these guys aren’t good enough to get a bigger offer somewhere else. The good news is that this radio team is still only in its second year and the Sox have a chance to change it.

If you are wondering why this bugs me so much, it’s because in April and September I am stuck in Madison, Wisconsin with only the radio to listen to. Right now, I’m at the point where I just want to watch the online scoreboard and Brewers game (although Brian Anderson, the new Brewers play-by-play guy, isn’t very good either).

As fans, we want to be at every game. There, the emotion comes from the crowd. At home, we can cheer but we need a third party to help feed our emotions — that third party is the broadcasting team. Ken Harrelson might be annoying to non-White Sox fans, but for us, his stupid sayings and constant yells keep us going at home.

Let me tell you what I heard last night and you tell me if it is supposed to make me excited:
It’s the bottom of the eighth, Royals have runners at second and third with two outs in a 7-7 game.

Ed Farmer: "Called strike three …(3 second pause)… and the Sox get out of it. We go to the ninth still tied."

Excuse me? That was the most important pitch of the game — and knowing Boone Logan, I doubt anyone thought he would get a called third strike to end the Royals threat. If Farmer was at all excited I would have been happy to throw an exclamation point in that quote, but believe me, there is no need to.  Try to read the quote again, but this time read in the most boring and slow way possible. That is how Farmer sounded — and I’m done listening to him to do play-by-play.

Look, the Sox and The Score aren’t going to change their radio team mid-season, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t change it in the offseason if Sox fans do enough complaining.

Remember how great Rooney’s World Series call was when they won Game Four? I could only imaging Farmer’s:

"Grounder to short (no mention that it went over Jenks because that would be too much detail) … (three second pause while Farmer watches the play) … ‘Yes!!’ (I put that in single quotes because that is Singleton yelling) … The White Sox have won the World Series."

Now, Farmer did a great job of keeping his composure and immediately backing up Rooney with analysis when the Sox won it in 2005, but I just can’t see him doing play-by-play in such a situation. And I certainly can’t see Singleton backing Farmer up with good analysis.

The Sox never made a move when Darrin Jackson struggled early in his broadcasting career with the White Sox. Over the years, D.J. has improved into a decent analyst, but terrible play-by-play guy. Now, it’s too late to make a change.

I just hope the Sox don’t make the same mistake with the radio team.

Mugs of Singleton and Farmer courtesy Whitesox.com