Ed Farmer, White Sox radio presence for a generation, dies at 70
In a year that has only bad news to offer, the White Sox announced the loss of their voice this morning. Ed Farmer died on Wednesday at the age of 70.
Farmer, who had long been a fierce advocate for organ donation in Illinois while battling polycystic kidney disease that ran in his family, waged an unspecified health battle for much of the last year.
The White Sox appeared to be transitioning away from a broadcast booth reliant on Farmer’s availability. Andy Masur, who started his White Sox career in WGN’s broadcast booth by calling single innings during home games, took over as the play-by-play guy for an increasing amount of assignments last season. Farmer missed the last week of the 2019 season for a “medical matter,” and the pairing of Masur and Darrin Jackson opened the season in spring training before the pandemic froze the league.
Had Farmer been able to continue, he would have been embarking on his 30th season in the White Sox radio booth, first as an analyst to John Rooney, and then as the play-by-play guy alongside Chris Singleton and Darrin Jackson. He also pitched a few seasons for the White Sox, the neighborhood team for the product of St. Rita High School.
Farmer contained multitudes. Most of his words were delivered in a cantankerous monotone, which created an odd-couple vibe with the more offbeat Jackson that occasional listeners had a hard time grasping. The few times he registered in the greater baseball world’s awareness for his radio work, it was for his fondness of Hammurabi’s Code.
That broadcast persona didn’t mesh with what people said about the person. Watch any road feed on MLB.tv or Extra Innings for a series, and one of the home team’s broadcasters would talk about how nobody had more friends in baseball than Ed Farmer, and the broadcast’s director would take a couple seconds to give him a nod.
(This jibes with my general impression. The few times I saw Farmer in person, he was seated and holding court with a crowd of three to 10 people.)
Moreover, that gruff vocal exterior made it more notable when he broke character. He rose to the occasion for the White Sox’s biggest moments, and the calls that he and John Rooney made during the 2005 season still resonate.
And similarly, Farmer’s sentimental side did break through an increasing amount over the years, including this team-produced video from 2019.
Based on the number of stories that have already emerged online, we’re going to be learning a lot over the next week about why seemingly everybody who met the man took to him.
OK, maybe not Al Cowens.
I still remember the Al Cowens game. He hit a grounder to short and the camera was on the shortstop, who didn’t throw to first for awhile. I couldn’t figure out why. Then they panned to the mound. That was crazy.
Ed Farmer will be missed. He was a good man.
Once Jim referenced Hammurabi’s Code, I was waiting for Cowens to pop up in this obituary. Great work, Jim. Harry: “This is a better fight than Leonard and Duran!”
I posted it in the classic games thread, but I would love for the Sox or WGN or WMVP to replay the entire Rooney-Farmer call of Game 4 of the World Series, including the lengthy postgame show. Farmer was so happy that night.
I met Ed a number of times in the early 90’s. It may surprise people but my impression was, he was quiet and soft spoken. My guess is radio asked him to speak, and once he started, he never stopped.
Absolutely tragic news to wake up to today
He will be missed sorely I’m sure even by the naysayers of him on the radio. Having had listened to more games than watched, he and DJ were the voice of the Sox for me and pretty much defined the season with his many lines that mirrored Hawks in memorableness like his home run call, SWING AND A LONG ONE. Just very saddening to hear ;_;
Turn on the waterworks
Agreed. I’ve always been a Farmio fan. I’ll miss his voice. I think he was very direct and, while that might cause some to dislike him, I found it endearing. I had so many long car rides tuned in to his voice. He was as sure as baseball in the spring…both are sorely missed.
Before Ed Farmer was hired as analyst, the Sox had him and a few others try out by doing a few games with Rooney. I remember riding in the car with my brother listening to the game on the radio during the Farmer try out. My brother turned the radio off and said that Farmer had no business in the booth with that monotone. When Farmer got the job, my brother couldn’t believe Kittle (his pick) didn’t get it.
I remember Farmer as a player on awful teams who wasn’t awful and as a broadcaster who loved the Sox. I am sorry he has passed.
Like Jim says up top, this year seems only full of bad news. I came to appreciate Ed and DJ’s weird, borderline inexplicable dynamic. He sounded kind of rough most of last year and I figured it was time for the Sox to move on in a Hawk type transition… the sudden loss is a sad one and I wish he’d gotten a final bow. RIP.
In a time of almost unbearable daily sadness this news was an incredible gut punch to anyone who not only followed the Sox but who mourns the loss of a courageous and deeply compassionate human being. Ed embodied all the good qualities that is associated with the South side of Chicago, tough but compassionate, proud but not arrogant , a doer and not a dreamer. As most of you know Ed lost his mother (i believe) very early in his life to the same kidney disease that he battled his whole life and which ultimately claimed him. Despite this ominous shadow , he had the courage to pursue a successful major league career and then transition into a successful broadcasting career all the while battling this hideous disease, especially in his latter years. He undoubtedly help save lives in his efforts to encourage people to check the organ donor option on their driver’s license .
As much as I (and others) might have disparaged your play by play in your latter years even your most steadfast stylistic critic deeply feels your loss and wishes that you were still in the booth joyfully calling the games for the winning Sox teams that we all eagerly anticipate will come.
To say you will be missed by all of us is an inadequate understatement .
May I suggest that anybody who hasn’t already done so, please take a moment to honor Farmer by signing up as an organ donor? Nationally, we have more people waiting for organ transplants than we have organs to give them, and some people die on the waiting list. Ten minutes signing up can make a tremendous difference for someone else. http://Www.donatelife.net.
I loved him with Rooney. They were a great pair. I enjoyed his style. I know I am in the minority on that. I am just really saddened by this.
Not at all. I loved him as a color guy. I think he might have been a little over-exposed at play-by-play, but I got used to him. I work nights, Ed and DJ were my primary conduit to White Sox baseball.
I also think he was a little past his sell-by date, but I sure didn’t want to see him go out so abruptly. It’s a pity he won’t get a farewell tour around the league.
They were my favorite broadcast duo. I spent a lot of time listening in the early 2000s, because I didn’t live close to Chicago and my internet connection was good enough for radio but not good enough for a video stream. They provided good detail about the action on the field (pitch location, type of batted ball, etc) and I stayed engaged throughout.
“The few times he registered in the greater baseball world’s awareness”…..Really?
“He also pitched a few seasons for the White Sox”…..Really? Why not – He saved 54 games for the White Sox with 3.31 ERA. He made the AL All-Star team in 1980, during what would become a career-best 2.6 bWAR and 30-save season.
As a broadcaster? I feel comfortable saying that.
Yes, I get it – but it didn’t need to be said today
Jim, I love your passion for the CWS & the quality & depth of your writing . But I gotta agree w/ Fpicks; that’s a pretty cold take on Farmio on the day of his demise. By all accounts he was a good guy. Met him once for 5 mins & he was great. RIP
I was hard on him the last few years because I wanted better, but I identified with him more than any other player in Sox history. South Sider, Catholic, product of the Chicago parochial schools through high school, hated the Yankees – check, check, check, check. Except you also played for the Pale Hose and broadcast for the team and played as an All-Star. Well done.
And I did love his genuine compassion and calls for kindness, whatever the concern or cause that certain day, that seemed to drop into the telecast, like little gems.
So if you ever hit your knees before bed and spout a few words to something bigger than yourself – we’re all in this together, folks – maybe put in a good word for Farmio tonight.
I didn’t grew up listening to him as many here mentioned. I probably listened to a handful of his broadcasts and yet this news makes me sad. His legacy in the White Sox community was positive. RIP.
My friends and I still laugh about a game we were listening to together on a boat on the lake about 10 years ago where Farmer recounted a brief conversation he had with Bob Uecker several years prior.
I’m paraphrasing here, but if someone can provide a word for word transcript, I love that.
“So Bob Uecker comes walking in, and I said `Hey, Mr. Belvedere.’ I guess he didn’t like being called that because he told me to go and do something to myself that is physically impossible. Long pause
…So, no more Mr Belvedere.”
We will still say “No more Mr Belvedere” for a cheap laugh when we get together. One guy even used that for his fantasy football name that fall.
Nobody made me laugh more while calling a game. Rest well, Ed.
A kind, compassionate man who was know for bearing donuts wherever he went. Rest In Peace Farmio-Light ‘em up in heaven.
I always loved Farmer’s voice. It surprises me that not everyone did. He’s been the radio voice for my entire time as a Sox fan and I can’t imagine listening to radio games without him.
DJ has never been my favorite broadcaster, but his genuine friendship with Ed shined through every broadcast and made them a great team.
RIP Ed. You were a good game-caller and a better person.
I’m with you. He had his faults, but who doesn’t. His voice was the sound of summer for me.
Jim is well aware of my feelings on Ed Farmer the announcer (had a discussion about him at a methup a few years back), but Ed Farmer the person always seemed like a high quality human being. Whatever one’s feelings on Farmer’s work, there’s no denying he left an indelible mark on White Sox history and his voice will echo for generations to come. Hats off and godspeed, Farmio.
Truth be told…
I wasn’t a huge fan of Ed as a broadcaster. More specifically, I didn’t care much for Ed as a PBP. Farmer and John Rooney? They were terrific.
Ed loved the Sox. That was clear. He also loved Notre Dame. Meh. I suppose as a fellow Southside (part) Irish (fallen) Catholic I’m supposed to like Notre Dame too, but in that Farmer our paths split. But Ed was a familiar voice. A unique voice. A member of the dysfunctional Sox family. Ever loyal, the Sox held onto Farmer in the broadcast booth.
I met Farmer & DJ once a few years ago in Spring Training. It was very brief. Ed & DJ didn’t have to be kind but they were.
I heard several interviews with friends of Farmer – Jason Benetti, who sat in the broadcast booth with Farmer when Benetti was young. Benetti had a funny story about how he and Farmer would walk together and joke about racing and what the two of them looked like walking together (Benetti had cerebral palsy and Farmer was similarly disabled). Steve Dahl had a couple good stories. Rob Hart, Dave Zaslowsky, Chris Rongey, Konerko and AJ. These audio eulogies were funny, enlightening and highlighted Farmer’s empathy and quirkiness.
A couple months ago, I wouldn’t have imagined being sad about Farmer’s death. However, I was. I miss life as it was. I miss baseball, like you.