Benetti happy for return to on-field duty

CHICAGO – White Sox television play-by-play voice Jason Benetti was down on Guaranteed Rate Field during pregame on Tuesday, talking to players, coaches and media members, while enduring his usual share of good-natured ribbing from certain players.

It was music to the broadcaster’s ears.

“I could not have been more excited to have Tim Anderson make fun of me a couple of minutes ago,” Benetti told MLB.com, while sitting a few feet behind batting practice. “My favorite part of the job is being around people and learning day to day what’s going on in the game.

“So, it can only get better from here now that we are able to talk to people on a daily basis and have human connection. Frankly, that’s why we all come to games is to sit around people we didn’t know and remember stuff that we didn’t experience before. Not have the same experience over and over again. I feel like I can finally live again in the way we do it.”

The TV broadcasts with Benetti and Steve Stone and the radio broadcasts with Len Kasper, Darrin Jackson and Connor McKnight have earned consistent strong reviews with a very talented White Sox team playing in front of them. Access has been increased for media members who have been fully vaccinated and are wearing a mask to be on the field for pregame interviews, and that access will help make those very good broadcasts even better.

Benetti won’t have to rely primarily on the Zoom information or what has been written, as he explained on Tuesday.

“I’m a curious person in general,” Benetti said. “I need to have that to do something different or it becomes assembly line technology and then we are making cars instead of bringing fun to people’s houses.

“They are great personalities. I know a bunch of the guys and I can’t be near them until the last week. I love learning about people and picking people’s brains about what makes them go.”

There would be times during games where Benetti would write notes in his scorebook to ask people the next day what they said to an opposing player at second or moments of that ilk in a game. He now will be able to once again carry out that process in-person.

“It feels like the fog has lifted,” Benetti said. “There are some people who would say, ‘Well, there’s no line on a balance sheet for fun.’ And to those people I would say, go find the joy in life instead of being annoying.”

Abreu ready for action

Manager Tony La Russa gave first baseman José Abreu a rare day off during Sunday’s series finale against the Tigers, giving the team leader two straight breaks with Monday’s off-day. Abreu was back in the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Blue Jays.

“Part of it was physical, mostly mental, especially he plays at such a high level,” La Russa said. “He puts so much responsibility on himself, you just wear the grey matter out. A day off was great, two in a row … he's going to be himself. It's just fair once in a while to refresh.”

With this ring

Zack Collins was not behind the plate for Carlos Rodón’s start on Tuesday against the Blue Jays. But this young battery will have a long-term connection based on Rodón’s no-hitter with Collins behind the plate against Cleveland on April 14, and the rings White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf gave to each of them to honor the moment.

“It was pretty amazing,” Collins said. “I experienced Gio [Lucas Giolito] and [James] McCann getting them last year. I got chills last year, and then getting mine this year is pretty incredible. Obviously this ring means a lot to me, and for Jerry to do that for us is pretty awesome.

“I didn't expect it, especially on that day. But knowing they got theirs last year, it was more of a hope than an idea. But yeah, it was pretty cool.”

Collins went on to describe the look of these rings.

“It had the No. 55 on it,” said Collins, referring to Rodón’s jersey number. “Mine said, 'Collins,' his said, 'Rodón.' It said 'no-hitter,' the date. In the No. 55 it had 55 diamonds and then around it, it had 20 diamonds because it was the 20th no-hitter in Sox history. Pretty cool.”

They said it

“It is the one thing I’ve always wanted to do.” – Benetti, on getting the opportunity to call baseball at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Japan