Winners and losers from the 1st Chicago White Sox spring broadcasts, including Len Kasper’s foul ball debut and Jason Benetti’s car care for Steve Stone

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The Len Kasper era of Chicago White Sox radio began Sunday not with a whimper or a bang, but with a foul ball.

Darrin Jackson, having read the starting lineups for the six-inning exhibition against the Milwaukee Brewers in Arizona, introduced his new broadcast partner.

“All right D.J., thank you,” said Kasper, starting his new play-by-play job on WMVP-AM 1000 after 16 seasons as the voice of Cubs TV. “About 61 degrees on a gorgeous day at Camelback Ranch.

“Avi Garcia, a right-handed hitter, will lead it off (for the Brewers) against big Mike Wright, and the first pitch is swung on and fouled away — and partner, we are underway.”

If the Cubs were mentioned at all, we missed it, which is how Sox fans probably want it.

It was a clean broadcast. About the worst mistake Kasper made was forgetting his binoculars. Fortunately, Jackson brought his, so no harm.

Here are some other winners and losers from the White Sox spring broadcast debut of 2021.

Winner: Laughter

Kasper and Jackson meshed exceptionally well for their first broadcast together, but it’s too much to expect them to immediately have the chemistry and comic timing of NBC Sports Chicago’s returning announcing team of Jason Benetti and Steve Stone.

Suffice it to say there was a lot of laughter in the TV booth. Stone and Benetti clearly missed each other in the offseason as much as Sox fans missed them. And good to know Stoney has been getting Benetti to start his car in Chicago to make sure everything’s all right every few weeks this winter.

Loser: Non-existent stretch

Having a radio sponsor for a seventh-inning stretch in the fifth inning of a six-inning practice game with no stretch to speak of is silly. There was nothing.

Have the beer brand in question sponsor something else, at least until there are real games. It’s either that or maybe Len sings something.

Winner: Old Sox announcers

Fun to hear vintage Sox radio calls in WMVP-AM’s bumpers, a very nice touch to herald the station’s return as the team’s flagship for the first time since 2005. Here’s hoping there are enough different cuts that listeners don’t tire of them.

Loser: Betting against Kasper

If you put money down on Kasper referring to D.J. as J.D., as in his former Cubs partner Jim Deshaies, you owe somebody something. Sorry.

Winner: Absent friends

Kasper and Jackson took a moment to pay tribute to the late Ed Farmer, the former Sox reliever and longtime radio announcer who died in April.

Stone, meanwhile, said nice things about former manager Rick Renteria and pitching coach Don Cooper, who were let go in the offseason.

Loser: Bennet Sousa

Imagine what it was like for White Sox pitcher Bennet Sousa growing up. Imagine what it’s going to be like if he makes the big league team. Let’s get all those puns out of the way now, please. And don’t you dare remind anyone February is over and it’s now March. Thank you.

Winner: Video loves the radio stars

Benetti managed to work Kasper into the first (and almost certainly easiest) Sox Math segment of ’21.

There also was praise from him and Stone for the new “Parkins and Spiegel” show on WSCR-AM 670. That’s partly because Danny Parkins coaxed Sox shortstop Tim Anderson into saying “(Bleep) it, we’re the best team in the American League” the other day and partly because Stone will be a regular contributor to the program.

Loser: Everyone who wanted more baseball

Yes, it was great to have baseball back. But only six innings? That was cruel.