The Cubs and Marquee Sports Network should hire Josh Lewin to replace Len Kasper

The shocking departure of Len Kasper from the Cubs TV booth to the White Sox radio booth has, as you might expect, prompted discussion of who would replace Len.

Earlier articles indicated that Chris Myers, who has worked for ESPN and Fox Sports and who was supposed to fill in for Len for a few Marquee games in 2020, would be the broadcaster replacing Kasper.

But, a Cubs press release on Len’s departure included this quote from Marquee’s general manager Mike McCarthy:

“Len has been a fantastic play-by-play man for several years here with the Chicago Cubs, and we wish him nothing but the best in this new endeavor. Len is chasing a dream which he and I have discussed many times. We made a significant effort to retain Len, but he was resolute that moving to the White Sox radio position was his desire. We honor that and now begin the process of filling what is one of the premiere jobs in sports – play-by-play for the Chicago Cubs. We have already received interest from several prominent candidates who look at the job as anybody would - as a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with one of the most iconic franchises in sports.”

I certainly hope Marquee will seriously consider applicants besides Myers, and I also hope that one of those “prominent candidates” is Josh Lewin.

Lewin has called games on TV for the Orioles, Tigers and Rangers and is perhaps best known for his Rangers tenure from 2002-11, and did radio work for the Mets from 2012-18. Most recently he served as a fill-in announcer for Red Sox games on the radio. He also shared the booth on WGN-TV with Harry Caray for one year, Harry’s final season in 1997. Lewin attended Northwestern University and attended many Cubs games in the bleachers while he did. I know this because I met Lewin one day in the bleachers in ‘97 when he wasn’t broadcasting and he personally told me this during our conversation. I found him to be personable and knowledgeable about the Cubs.

He’s 52 years old, just a couple years older than Len Kasper, and could easily settle into the Cubs booth for a decade or longer.

Lewin has an excellent reputation as a baseball broadcaster and when sports shut down last spring, he endeared himself to fans everywhere by doing play-by-play of random things around his house, including this one about heating up a taquito in his microwave:

Hire this guy, Mike McCarthy. He’d be the perfect guy to have in the Cubs booth with Jim Deshaies.