Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Brooke Fletcher reflects on making White Sox broadcasting history
25 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Joined by Brooke Fletcher, I'm John Schriffen. Once again, Steve Stone is under the weather. You're making history tonight, and it is an honor to share this booth with you. Mary Shane was the first female play-by-play for the White Sox back in 1977. Brooke Fletcher, you're the first female analyst here in 2026.
It's crazy to even think of that.
Chapter 2: What historical achievement did Brooke Fletcher accomplish with the White Sox?
I haven't even processed it, John, but I just am so honored that the White Sox, DHSN, you guys have trusted me with this responsibility. And again, I have big shoes to fill with Steve Stone, but thank you so much for making this comfortable for me, John. I've been having a lot of fun.
You're a natural.
That was John Shriven and Brooke Fletcher from CHSN on yesterday's broadcast, giving credit also to familiar friends and faces that we know who have also been part of the female White Sox analyst fame. This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score. We are happy to go to our hotline and Twitch, twitch.tv slash thescorechicago on her day off. Brooke Fletcher is joining us.
Chapter 3: How did Brooke Fletcher feel about being the first female analyst for the White Sox?
Brooke, thanks for doing so.
Of course. Thank you guys so much for having me on.
Congratulations on making history with the team. And I think it was the best pinch hit performance. And we've seen a few from the White Sox this season. How did you find out that you were getting the word that you were going to fill in for Steve Stone during the Guardian series?
Well, thank you for that. I found out maybe like two hours before the game, they pulled me aside and Brooks Boyer kind of had this serious look on his face and I'm like, oh gosh, what's going on? And he said, how about you? Do you want to make history tonight? And, you know, when I get it from my dad, he always says, grab the bull by the horns.
And, you know, as a competitor, I was like a little hesitant at first because, you know, it's such a big responsibility and you're just kind of like, wait, you want me in the booth? And so I just kind of I described it yesterday as kind of like jumping out of a plane when you skydive, right? You just kind of go for it. And it was such a fun experience.
And I'm so appreciative of, you know, the White Sox and CHSN just giving me that opportunity. But yeah, it was it was a crazy two hours leading up to that game. My head was it was spinning a little bit, but it was it turned out to be great.
Brooke, what were the nerves like for this as opposed to maybe the most nervous you'd ever been for any assignment prior, whether that's your first time you were on TV or your first sideline reporting? What were the differences in this?
I mean, I remember the first time I did sideline reporting, it's just, I think it's the unknown, right? Like being an analyst and, you know, obviously listening to Steve and listening to other analysts throughout my career, and I admire them so much, but actually being in their shoes and, you know, you're kind of,
the conductor up there, if you will, right, you got the replay, you got promos, you're like, not just in and out as a reporter and viewing it from a different vantage point, you know, you're actually calling the game. So I think the unknown of that, I think was probably the most like intimidating thing.
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Chapter 4: What was the moment like when Brooke was informed she would fill in for Steve Stone?
That's what energizes them down the stretch is this fan base and guys, people getting loud in the stands. And so I think that really does make a huge difference. It's not the complete reason, you know why, but that is a huge difference. I think why they play so well at home.
Brooke, we just got done with our Five On It segment, so I'm going to extend one of our questions to you. Who do you think was the MVP of the Guardian series?
Oh, I think Sean Newcomb. Sean Burke. I think the Seans. Sean squared. Can I do that? Yeah, sure. I just think that, you know, I mean, you could talk about Sam Antonacci. I think I, I love Sam. I think he's fantastic, but I think Sean Burke has really just tapped back into that magic. I think the biggest thing with him is just the consistency.
We saw it in Yankee stadium and now he came back out and he did his thing, which we were so impressed. And then Sean Newcomb has quietly just been, I feel like the anchor of that pitching staff. They've used him in a bunch of different roles. He was fighting for that starter role in the rotation out of spring training. They were like, Hey, We're going to move you to the bullpen.
And whether he's an opener, whether he's in a save situation, I just think he's been so good and just a steady presence, especially we know how important pitching is down the stretch. I just think he's quietly become the real deal with this group.
Brooke, I love that you've been with this team since spring training because that gives you this certain level of, I've known since the beginning what it looked like, what it might look like, and what it actually looks like.
I want to know, of the 13 guys that they've called up that have made their Major League debut this season, which one of those call-ups has maybe surprised you the most with what's actually happened after getting here?
Oh, wow. I'm trying to rack my brain because we've had so many. I'm like, who's been here? Who's just called up? I don't know if I want to say he's a surprise, but Sam Antonacci has been a spark plug for this group. And, you know, whether it's showman's calling him a psychopath when he gets on the field or Mike Vassell called him crazy.
But these are all, like, good descriptions of him because that's what you want in a teammate. I think there's been such a big question when guys get called up, okay, well, how are they going to translate at the big league level? Will they be able to compete? And every guy's going to go through, you know, their ups and downs and just trying to adjust.
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Chapter 5: What were Brooke Fletcher's nerves like compared to previous assignments?
international attention he's getting but he's just one of the guys and he's having fun he's built great relationships and he's been such a great leader for this group um so i just think like this they just have such a good chemistry and i just think it's it's why this team is just finding success and i think a lot of people are scratching their heads like well they don't have like you know the show haze or they don't have the juan soto's and stuff like that but sometimes you don't need that um you just need the right group of guys in the clubhouse and i think they've done a good job with that
Well, they just got Kyle Till back as we talk with Brooke Fletcher. She's the White Sox on-field reporter and analyst on CHSN. She's also a podcaster. We'll talk about that in just a moment. But first, any update on Munataka Murakami and where he is and on his road to recovery and maybe rejoining the Sox lineup?
Yeah, so the original timeline was around like four to six weeks, and I believe we've reached around the four-week mark, so maybe a couple more weeks. But, you know, he's been doing some light running. He was in the cage earlier. What is today's Thursday?
So earlier this week, he was not doing any intense hitting, but just maybe off the tee a little bit, just trying to get back in the swing of things. So he's progressing well. But as you guys know, the soft tissue stuff with the hamstring, that's something you want to be very particular, you know, very careful with. So I would think maybe around or after the all star break. Don't quote me on that.
But I think around that time would maybe make sense. But he is progressing well and he's still around the guys just making his presence felt.
And I've caught your podcast on CHSN with Danny Kleppinger, Sideline. What was the impetus for this? And what do you guys do for people who may not be familiar?
Yeah.
Well, we wanted to make something kind of for the girls, right? I think Danny and I, we used to work with each other at stadium. And we always felt like, okay, well, you know, you're in a male dominated industry. But like, why can't it? Why can't you know what you're talking about with sports, but also talk about fashion and girly things. And I think there is a world where you can have both.
And Danny and I feel like we have the credibility. We've worked really hard in this industry and we, you know, we're both sideline reporters and we have a big resume. And I think we kind of wanted to create that space. I think, and right now you're seeing it a lot with like sports-ish or sportish and, you know, baseball for baddies.
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Chapter 6: How does Brooke describe the differences in her roles as an analyst versus a sideline reporter?
Brooke is the co-host of the Sideline podcast, as you mentioned, and that comes on pretty often. I think you just have to check the guide if you want to see it. It's also they have a YouTube channel where I think they post a lot of that stuff, too. So happy for Brooke. Coming up next here on Rahimi Harrison Grody. We have a bit of a point counterpoint in the doubleheader yesterday.
PCA is at the heart of it. Dansby Swanson may have told us some stuff about it. And then Craig Council had a different opinion to bunt or not to bunt. We'll discuss next.