Len Kasper
{{short description|American sportscaster}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Len Kasper
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| alma_mater = Marquette University, '93
Public Relations
| occupation = Sports broadcaster
| years_active = 1994–present
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| family =
| spouse = Pam
| children = 1
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}}
Len Kasper is an American sportscaster. Since 2021, he has been the radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball,{{cite web |last=Agrest |first=Jeff |date=28 March 2021 |title=Len Kasper is once again living his dream |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/3/28/22353139/len-kasper-living-his-dream-white-sox-cubs-broadcastin |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=Chicago Sun Times}} teaming with color analyst Darrin Jackson on ESPN 1000 and the Chicago White Sox Radio Network.
From 2005 to 2020, Kasper worked alongside analysts Bob Brenly and Jim Deshaies on Chicago Cubs telecasts. He also joined the team's radio network for the fifth inning of games that were televised nationally (including playoff games), working with regular radio announcers Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer.
Career
Kasper first worked for WTMJ-AM (620) from 1994 to 2002 in Milwaukee as the host of the station's daily sports show, hosted pregame and halftime shows for the Green Bay Packers, and was a co-host on a hot stove league show on the Brewers' radio network.{{Cite web |last=Sherman |first=Ed |date=2009-04-10 |title=Ed Sherman interviews WGN's Len Kasper |url=http://www.chitownradio.com/messages/5297.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202141535/http://chitownradio.com/messages/5297.html |archive-date=2017-02-02 |website=chitownradio.com}} After realizing he would need experience calling baseball games, he started working with Brett Dolan on the weekends in the late 1990s calling several innings at a time for the Beloit Snappers. In 1999, he was then asked to do fill-in TV work with the Milwaukee Brewers for Matt Vasgersian who started to get work on the national stage. Kasper continued to work alongside Bill Schroeder as a fill-in for Vasgersian on Brewers telecasts through 2001.
In 2002, Kasper was hired as a full-time TV play-by-play announcer to work alongside color commentator Tommy Hutton for the Florida Marlins and worked for Florida through the 2004 season until being hired for the Cubs in 2005.{{cite web |author=Kasper, Len |date=2012-10-16 |title=Baseball ProGUESTus Bringing Sabermetrics to the Broadcast Booth |url=http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=18680 |access-date=2015-09-18 |website=Baseball Prospectus}}{{cite web |last1=Bloom |first1=Barry M. |date=2015-05-19 |title=Theo Epstein's Hot Stove Cool Music Heats Up With Special Guest "Headliner To Be Named Later" at Wrigleyville's Metro July 9 |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/theo-epsteins-hot-stove-cool-music-heats-up-with-special-guest/c-125311456 |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=MLB.com}} Kasper received the Harry Caray Sportscaster of the Year Award from the Pitch and Hit Club of Chicago in 2011.{{cite web |date=2011-01-19 |title=Pitch and Hit Club announces Award winners for Banquet |url=https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/IL/pitch-and-hit-club-announces-award-winners-for-banquet-9581746302 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Prep Baseball Report}}
On Friday, December 4, 2020, it was announced that he would be leaving the Chicago Cubs TV broadcasting booth to become the primary radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox on WMVP 1000 AM and fill-in TV announcer on NBC Sports Chicago. He was replaced by Jon Sciambi.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cubs/ct-chicago-cubs-marquee-hires-espn-jon-boog-sciambi-20210104-n4awt7lcz5bmrn32jqaunkxfri-story.html#nt=pf-double%20chain~top-news-chain-2~flex%20feature~curated~cubs-mon-1120a-cp3-2p~N4AWT7LCZ5BMRN32JQAUNKXFRI~1~2~6~8~art%20yes|title=Jon 'Boog' Sciambi named the Chicago Cubs' new TV play-by-play voice on Marquee Sports Network — but he'll keep his ESPN role too|last=Rosenthal|first=Phil|date=2021-01-04|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2021-01-04}}
Kasper founded and is the bass player for the band Sonic45. Sonic45 is a Chicago-based new wave band who have released two records "Space and Time" in 2021 and "SuperSonic" in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Sonic 45 featuring Len Kasper |url=https://www.heynonny.com/shows/sonic-45-featuring-len-kasper/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Hey Nonny |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Kasper grew up in Michigan. His broadcasting influence was the Detroit Tigers' radio broadcasters, Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey.{{cite web |author=Hildebrant, Chuck |date=2015-07-03 |title=Working the Game, an Interview with Len Kasper, Chicago Cubs TV |url=http://sabrmedia.org/2015/07/03/working-the-game-an-interview-with-len-kasper-chicago-cubs-tv/ |access-date=2015-09-18 |website=Society for American Baseball Research}} He graduated from Shepherd High School. He graduated summa cum laude from Marquette University with a degree in public relations in 1993.{{cite web|title=Broadcasters|url=http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=chc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311064825/http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=chc|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 11, 2007|work=MLB.com|access-date=2015-09-18}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070701195041/http://chicago.comcastsportsnet.com/talent.asp#Kasper Chicago Cubs Broadcasters at Comcastsportsnet.com]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070601191803/http://chicago.comcastsportsnet.com/shows-Len-And-Bob-.asp Ask Len and Bob at Comcastsportsnet.com]
- [http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=chc#len_kasper Chicago Cubs Broadcasters at Cubs.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902060747/http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=chc#len_kasper |date=2011-09-02 }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070703135808/http://blogs.trb.com/sports/custom/weblog/wgnsports/ Len & Bob's baseball blog at WGN Sports.com]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oWZEvZ4WBY Len & Bob play Summertime Blues.]
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{{Succession box| before = Chip Caray | title = Chicago Cubs Television Play-By-Play Announcer| years = 2005–2020| after = Jon Sciambi}}
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{{Major League Baseball on Fox}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kasper, Len}}
Category:American radio sports announcers
Category:American television sports announcers
Category:Chicago Cubs announcers
Category:Chicago White Sox announcers
Category:Florida Marlins announcers
Category:Green Bay Packers announcers
Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters
Category:Marquette University alumni
Category:Milwaukee Brewers announcers