In the most recent episode, the beloved announcers from the south side joined Chuck Garfien's White Sox Talk Podcast.
Both Jason Benetti and Steve Stone agreed on one-year deals to announce for the White Sox again in 2023.
They have some expectations for the White Sox as a whole as well as specific player expectations for the 2023 MLB season.
They also discussed how the pitch clock could change the game in a big way, not only for the Chicago White Sox but for every team in major league baseball.
A free-flowing conversation.
— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) March 13, 2023
A podcast without a net.
A great chat with two of the very best.
@jasonbenetti and @stevestone on the White Sox Talk Podcast. 🎙🎧🌵https://t.co/NZkLwcFUn6 pic.twitter.com/99YwxG4sVc
Jason and Steve are thrilled to be back with NBC Sports Chicago and everyone else in the White Sox community is as well. Many even consider them the best-announcing duo in baseball and rightfully so.
The pitch clock will ultimately shorten the game and while Jason enjoys staying at the field for long periods, he believes it's better for the fans. The pitch clock will make baseball run more smoothly and work more efficiently for all games played throughout the entire year.
One thing Chuck Garfien will miss about the non-pitch clock era is the definitive and brilliant baseball stories told by Steve Stone during the broadcasts.
Steve Stone believes it will be more difficult to share his stories. He explained that he will do his best to shorten his knowledge of the game of baseball.
He also thinks everyone is going to get used to the rhythm of baseball with the pitch clock and it will ultimately become a "big hit" in the baseball society.
He believes that the no-shift rule and bases being much more extensive will keep fans' attention as well. Base-running has been missing from the game for some years now, and adding larger bases will bring that back to MLB baseball.
""Every day you learn something in this game.""Steve Stone on White Sox Talk Podcast
Stone recommends taking 2022 White Sox baseball out of your digestive season and moving on to 2023.
Jason Benetti also agreed with Steve. Both stated that having all the expectations the White Sox had in 2022 ended up hurting them detrimentally.
The White Sox can't go on auto-pilot in 2023 and the new staff knows that. Skipper Pedro Grifol is taking it one tiny step at a time and both announcers believe it will be a better approach for success in 2023 than their lousy/laziness approach in 2022.
""It's a brand new year, and if the whole of the team stays together physically, they can compete at the top of the AL Central with the Guardians and Twins.""Steve Stone on White Sox Talk Podcast
Pedro Grifol is going to lead to a better outcome overall in 2023 and his manager style should benefit the Chicago White Sox one game at a time.
From an individual standpoint, Benetti believes that starting pitcher Lucas Giolito will return to his all-star form in 2023.
He believes Giolito will enjoy working fast with the new pitch clock rule and he thinks he is back to his average body will make him an overall more efficient pitcher. Lucas Giolito added weight in the off-season of 2022 which hurt him significantly.
Steve Stone had a name that had a good year in 2022 and his name is Andrew Vaughn. Stone believes he will be in a comfortable spot defensively, which will correlate positively to his offensive ability.
Andrew Vaughn is a first baseman and now that he has access to that position, he will mature as an overall baseball player.
Jason Benetti and Steve Stone are excited to share the booth in 2023 and they wouldn't want to be anywhere else but with the Chicago White Sox.