Pat Hughes’ Chicago Cubs radio broadcasts are as important as ever

The team Chicago Cubs fans know and love currently looks very different than last year and the voice fans are used to hearing from the broadcast booth is going to be unfamiliar as well. In December, Len Kasper announced his departure from the organization after 16 years as the team’s play-by-play man to take a job crosstown with in the Chicago White Sox radio booth.

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Not only was this move surprising, but it was also upsetting to lose a voice that has been linked with the team. Jon ‘Boog’ Sciambi will be replacing Len Kasper. Sciambi will be joining Jim Deshaies in the booth for Marquee.  Sciambi, 50, has worked at ESPN in various roles and will continue to work for the network. When Sciambi does his work for ESPN during the 2021 season, Beth Mowins, Chris Meyer, and Pat Hughes will be filling in for those select games.

Out of the three, Hughes is the one that Chicago Cubs fans are the most familiar with. Hearing his iconic voice on the radio and seeing and hearing Len Kasper on television were North Side mainstays. With this in mind, Hughes and his radio broadcasts are important as ever to the future of Chicago Cubs baseball.

Pat Hughes’ Chicago Cubs radio broadcasts are as important as ever.

Hughes, 65, is entering his 26th season as the team’s radio play-by-play announcer. After calling games in the minor leagues, Hughes began his MLB career in 1983 as the television play-by-play man for the Minnesota Twins. Then, he spent 12 years as the radio/television game commentator with the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only that, but Hughes also called Marquette University basketball games until he found his way to the Chicago Cubs in November of 1995.

Throughout his time with Chicago, Hughes has made many historic calls. Most notably, Hughes has called various postseason games, including the 2016 World Series and seven no-hitters, all of which are unforgettable games. Additionally, Hughes called games in 2020 even with the different difficulties that arose from the coronavirus pandemic.

With Len Kasper gone crosstown, having a familiar voice like Pat Hughes is comforting in a sense and provides a sense of hope for the organization and fans alike going into this upcoming season. While many things have changed for this team and its fans, at least Pat and his collection of sweaters are a mainstay as he remains the voice of the Cubs for, hopefully, many seasons to come.