Ed Farmer pitched his first game for the White Sox in June 1979 after being traded from the Texas Rangers. He called his first game in the White Sox radio booth in 1991. Born in Evergreen Park, Illinois and a graduate of St. Rita High School in Chicago and Chicago State University, Farmer has been a major figure in Chicago sports for years. He passed away on Wednesday night of complications from a previous illness.
“Ed Farmer was the radio voice of the Chicago White Sox for three decades, and he called no-hitters, perfect games and of course, a World Series championship,” said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf via team press release. “His experience as a major league All-Star pitcher, his wry sense of clubhouse humor, his love of baseball and his passion for the White Sox combined to make White Sox radio broadcasts the sound of summer for millions of fans. Ed grew up a Sox fan on the south side of Chicago and his allegiance showed every single night on the radio as he welcomed his ‘friends’ to the broadcast. I am truly devastated by the loss of my friend.”
Farmer played three of his eleven seasons as a major leaguer with the White Sox, from 1979-1981. He was an American League All Star in 1980. Farmer went 30-43 with a 4.30 ERA (298 ER/624.0 IP), 75 saves and 395 strikeouts in 370 career major league games over 11 seasons with Cleveland (1971-73), Detroit (1973), Philadelphia (1974, ’82-83), Baltimore (1977), Milwaukee (1978), Texas (1979), the White Sox (1979-81) and Oakland (1983).
He joined the White Sox broadcast team part time in 1991 and started as the full-time analyst for the 1992 season. In 2006, Farmer became the play-by-play voice after working alongside John Rooney, Chris Singleton, and Steve Stone. USA Today named Farmer and Rooney the best radio team in the American League in 2004.
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