Jason Benetti and Steve Stone combine humor and analysis to make White Sox games must-see TV.
34-year-old Jason Benetti grew up a White Sox fan in Homewood, Illinois. He was born three months premature which may have caused the cerebral palsy he suffers from today. It kept him from normal childhood physical activities.
He knew he’d never be an athlete due to his condition. So when an elementary teacher had the class write an essay on what they wanted to be in 20 years, Jason’s was easy. He had always dreamed of being the White Sox broadcaster.
70-year-old Steve Stone grew up in a Cleveland suburb and was an outstanding athlete. Besides being a tremendous pitcher, Steve was an outstanding tennis player, a ping pong champion and an above average golfer.
Stone was drafted in the fourth round by the San Francisco Giants in 1969 after graduating from Kent State University. He went on to have a notable 11-year career in the majors that included two separate stints with the White Sox and a Cy Young season in 1980 with the Baltimore Orioles.
A true friendship
Doesn’t sound like a perfect match, but these two hit it off from their initial meeting and have formed not only a great partnership in the booth but a great friendship outside the booth. The banter that goes on between the two during games runs the gamut from quotes from the movie Airplane to the historical relevance of Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin.
It’s all business with baseball
But when it comes to calling the game and giving analysis, they are all business. Jason gives Stone the time and opportunity to give his experienced opinions and expertise on plays. He also will throw Stone questions to get more detail about comments he makes regarding the game.
And Benetti is no charity case given the job because it’s a feel-good story, although it is. He’s earned this job. He has a degree in journalism from Syracuse and a law degree from Wake Forest. He is the equal of any play-by-play commentator in the MLB today.
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But, what makes this partnership so enjoyable is the ribbing of each other, the self-deprecation they both have, and the true humor and jokes between them.
Stick and Stone
The “Sticks and Stone” segment is always entertaining. In this “game”, Steve is asked questions about his own MLB career. When he gets the answer wrong, which is quite often, Benetti is quick with the razzing.
And, no matter how the product on the field has been performing, Sox fans have never had to battle through a boring 9 inning broadcast. Whether it’s a nail biter or a blowout loss, you will laugh and learn something when you tune into every single broadcast.
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If you haven’t been paying attention, don’t miss out on this special partnership. Tune in and you will not be disappointed.