White Sox TV voice John Schriffen's 'haters' remark on home-run call raises questions, concerns

The moment was there for John Schriffen.

Last Saturday, with the White Sox trailing by a run in the 10th inning and a man on third, Andrew Benintendi crushed a hanging breaking ball for a home run to beat the Rays 8-7. Schriffen, the Sox’ first-year TV voice, emoted postseason vibes with his first walk-off call.

“Benintendiiiiii . . . let’s go!” Schriffen shouted, with something inaudible but loud in between. “The White Sox walk it off in the 10th! And for the first time all season, the Sox have won two in a row!”

The call was so palpable and succinct that he could’ve stopped right there and let the viewer listen to the crowd before analyst Steve Stone shared his thoughts. But Schriffen continued.

“Say it with me, say it proud — for all the haters — South Side, staaaaaand up!”

And with that, he ruined it.

Not with his “South Side, stand up” bit. That’s fine. He also likes to borrow from rapper T.I. by saying “Bring ’em out, bring ’em out” when the Sox take the field. Schriffen has some schtick.

The problem was “haters.” What haters? Sox fans? They had every right to be angry with a team that had just improved its record to 5-22. Or was he talking about outsiders, anyone who had taken a jab at the Sox for their embarrassing start? I forgot all about the home run as I tried to decode his meaning. I went from enthralled to appalled. How could he do that?

So I messaged Schriffen. We’d had good conversations. I reached out Monday and Tuesday. No response.

I wasn’t alone. The Score’s “Parkins & Spiegel” and ESPN 1000’s “Waddle & Silvy” requested interviews. Schriffen didn’t respond to The Score, and he told ESPN 1000 — the Sox’ radio home — he was declining all interview requests. A former reporter was declining interviews.

Schriffen did speak with a friendly outlet, MLB.com, which is apropos of today’s media environment. In a story posted Tuesday afternoon, he explained himself.

“We had 28,000-plus in this stadium, and I fed off every bit of that energy,” Schriffen said. “It wasn’t planned. I didn’t think about what I was going to say. It’s just one of those moments where it was like, ‘This is who this team is, and for all those people who are talking crap about the White Sox, we’ve got something ready for you this season.’ That’s the haters.”

That shouldn’t have been hard to share with a reporter and two radio shows, though it was a bit over the top. And saying “I didn’t think about what I was going to say” exposed a problem. That’s a prerequisite for broadcasters. They don’t have the benefit of a delete key. Speaking is a skill, and it involves thinking before doing it, especially when one’s adrenaline is off the charts.

Schriffen has worked hard to stay positive on the NBC Sports Chicago broadcasts, a herculean task at times. That also calls his tone into question. If you’re taking a positive tack, why go negative? Who cares about haters? This was his moment, and he changed his tune.

Looking at Schriffen’s posts on X (formerly Twitter), he doesn’t regret it. He even doubled down on it the day after his call. And with the chance to explain himself to a mass audience, he ducked the inquiries. The players he talks about can’t do that. Sox manager Pedro Grifol can’t do that.

Schriffen already was facing a difficult situation broadcasting for a team that could challenge the major-league record for losses in a season (120, 1962 Mets). Fans perceive broadcasts to be better when the team wins, so Schriffen was behind the eight ball from the start.

The home-run call aside, Schriffen is doing a fine job. He’s prepared and enthusiastic. But he’s learning two valuable lessons: Don’t leave anything open to interpretation, and words matter. Though the word “hater” doesn’t imply actual “hate,” it’s just one letter away, and that’s too close for comfort.