Had Christopher Morel's epic crosstown walkoff home run Wednesday night taken place from 2005-2020, broadcaster Len Kasper would have yelled, "Oh baby!" for the whole city to hear. Instead, the former Cubs TV commentator sat in the visitor's booth of the Wrigley Field pressbox and gave a very disappointed call of Morel's blast on the White Sox radio broadcast on ESPN 1000.
"Swing and fly ball deep center field, [Luis] Robert's going back and, it's gone...And the Cubs...win the game..."Len Kasper, ESPN 1000
Even though it's been nearly three years since Kasper left the Cubs TV booth for the South Side radio job, it still feels weird to listen to. He was a regular part of the Cubs watching experience for so long and highlights of his calls are still being heard on Marquee commercials and famous replays being shared on social media. It would be one thing if he were around just a few years, or if it had been nearly two decades since he was last on the North Side like Steve Stone or Chip Caray but it was not that long ago when he was still the Cubs primary TV broadcaster.
It's, of course, worth noting that the last time the Cubs walked off the White Sox via home run prior to Wednesday was Aramis Ramirez in 2008. Kasper had the memorable call of, "Ballgame over! Cubs win!" Seems like a lifetime ago, and that was in the middle of Kasper's tenure in the Cubs broadcast booth.
Cubs fans won't soon forget Len Kasper's lengthy stay on the North Side
It might still feel weird for Cubs fans to hear Kasper call White Sox games because of how shocking his move to the South Side was. He had embraced the role of the "hometown announcer" and became such a big part of the organization that he was the one who hosted the World Series ring presentation ceremony at Wrigley Field in 2017. To suddenly leave for the other side of town when he did was so surprising and unexpected.
No broadcaster will be liked by 100 percent of the fanbase but it is fair to say there is a sizeable percentage of the Cubs faithful who still miss Kasper being in the booth.