Broadcasters by Year 1924 2006

By Wikipedia

John Rooney is a sportscaster, best known for his former role as lead radio announcer for Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox.

A Richmond, Missouri native, Rooney began his broadcast career in the 1970s, doing a number of assignments for various radio stations in Missouri and Oklahoma. In 1980 he began calling play-by-play for the Oklahoma City 89ers, a minor league baseball team, as well as Indianapolis football and basketball. He broadcast for the Louisville Redbirds beginning in 1983.

Rooney broadcast for the Minnesota Twins in the mid-1980s. In 1988 he joined the White Sox' television crew; the following year he switched to the team's radio booth, where he teamed with Wayne Hagin (1989-1991) and Ed Farmer (1992-2005).

Rooney worked for CBS Radio from 1984 to 2003, nationally broadcasting various sports events including Major League Baseball, the National Football League, college football, and college basketball. He called Saturday baseball telecasts for Fox Sports from 1996 to 1998, and postseason Division Series games for ESPN Radio in 2003 and 2004. In 2004 he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

In September 2005 it was announced that Rooney would be leaving the White Sox' radio crew, due to a salary dispute with their new flagship station. His final broadcast with the team was Game 4 of the 2005 World Series, which ended in the White Sox' first Series championship since 1917. On November 11, 2005 it was announced that Rooney would be calling St. Louis Cardinals games with Mike Shannon beginning in 2006.

Rooney is also a play-by-play announcer for Larry Kahn's Sports USA Radio Network.

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