‘Feels like home': Brooke Fletcher excited to extend family ties to Chicago White Sox as part of broadcast team
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The past month has felt like a full-circle moment for Brooke Fletcher.
As a new member of the Chicago White Sox broadcast team, Fletcher has been at camp gearing up for the upcoming season and taking part in CHSN's spring training telecasts along with John Schriffen and Steve Stone.
And her family has ties to the Sox. Her father, Scott, played for the team in the 1980s and early 90s and her brother-in-law, Gordon Beckham, spent seven years with the Sox during his 11 seasons in the big leagues.
'It's been a little surreal,' Brooke Fletcher told the Tribune on Thursday at Camelback Ranch. 'Just thankful for the opportunity, just to be able to cover the White Sox and having the history with my family. It's been cool.'
Scott played parts of 15 years in the majors, including six seasons with the Sox from 1983-85 and 1989-91.
'The White Sox have always had a place in our family's heart,' Scott said in a phone interview with the Tribune on Friday morning. 'We love (Chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf) and just being around so many of the White Sox people who are still there. Brooke put on her Instagram one time when she was young, she had her White Sox uniform on. So it was like, man, really blessed and you see how things come together sometimes.
'That's pretty special that it's worked out for her to be with the White Sox.'
Brooke's duties include providing in-game reports from near the dugout as well as pre- and postgame coverage.
'I'm just mainly excited to be able to share the stories and shine a light on this young group,' she said.
Fletcher will get the chance to do just that Sunday, working alongside Connor McKnight in the booth for the Spring Breakout prospects game against the Colorado Rockies at Camelback Ranch (4:05 p.m., CHSN). Pitchers Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith and Grant Taylor, shortstop Colson Montgomery and outfielder Braden Montgomery are among the players on the Sox roster for the event.
'Just so much talent,' Fletcher said. 'There are guys that might take a few seasons to get up to the bigs, and there are guys that are right on the cusp. There's a lot to look forward to.'
Fletcher's journey to the Sox included working as a host for 'The Rally,' serving as a sideline reporter for AppleTV+ on its MLB broadcasts and covering the Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings for Bally Sports Detroit. She's a sideline reporter for the Big 10 Network, aiding in their football coverage. And she hosts CHSN's program, 'The Chicago Lead.'
'She's worked very hard at it and I'm really happy for her and thank the Lord that she is where she is,' Scott Fletcher said. 'She's accomplished a lot, I told her she's accomplished a lot in a short time, and I'm really proud of her.'
Throughout camp, Fletcher has heard from folks who tell her they remember her father.
'Everybody's been so welcoming,' she said.
Fletcher said baseball 'feels like home.'
'I grew up going to the ballpark, watching my brother (Brian) play,' Fletcher said. 'I was working baseball tournaments — my dad held national baseball tournaments, I was working the front gate.
'Just understanding the lifestyle of it and also being a fan. I just love this game so much.'
Sox option Jared Shuster to Triple A
The Sox optioned the left-handed pitcher to Triple-A Charlotte before Friday's Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds.
'We had some guys ahead of him,' manager Will Venable said. 'We came in looking at him in the starter's role. We thought he looked good. We just have some guys ahead of him, and going to give him the opportunity to go to work and get back into reliever shape. He'll be an option for us at some point during the summer.'
Shuster has an 11.57 ERA in four spring outings (one start). He has allowed nine runs on 15 hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. He had a 4.30 ERA in 39 appearances (four starts) for the Sox last season.
'His changeup was really good,' Venable said. 'I know that's something that he's been working on and is important to his arsenal. I thought he had a really good one and as we continue to see that velo tick up, I think it's going to play even better. I think that's part of the discussion with having him in the reliever role also, is to really get the velo up and play up the good changeup.'
Injury update
Right-hander Mason Adams left Friday's game with discomfort in his right elbow. He exited after issuing a walk with one out in the second inning.
Adams has a 4.91 ERA in four games (two starts) this spring. He has eight strikeouts, one walk and has hit two batters in 7 1/3 innings. The Sox said Adams will undergo further testing Saturday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cosmopolitan
38 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
Love Island's Shea Mannings: His age, Instagram, job and more
The bombshells are officially bombshelling. Last night's Love Island [11 June] saw not one, but two new Islanders enter the Villa, ready to shake things up: introducing Shea Mannings and Remell Mullins. The pair entered the Villa towards the end of the episode and were given some alone time with the girls to quiz them on what was happening with their various connections. The boys then joined the group and they all played a number of cheeky dares. And while it's not 100 per cent clear who Shea is interested in yet, it's safe to say the whole of X [formerly known as Twitter] are either hoping he'll couple up with Alima, or they can keep him for themselves. So when you're over your thirsting for Shea (we understand it could take a while) then this is everything you need to know about the latest Islander. Shea is 25 years old. Shea is from Bristol. Shea's nine to five is working as a scaffolder. As mentioned on the show during 11th June's episode Shea also plays football semi-professionally. According to OK! it appears Shea's most recent team he played for were Swindon Supermarine FC, but he also played for these teams in teh past too: "Bristol Manor Farm, Roman Glass St George, Ashton & Backwell, Larkhall Athletic, Metropolitan Police, Paulton Rovers, and Melksham Town." Yes! Before heading into the Villa, Shea revealed he has a young son from a previous relationship, whom he will take into consideration when looking to date any of the women. "I have a little boy, so I'll be taking him into consideration with who I couple up with, too," he said. When it comes to coupling up Shea kept his cards very close to his chest during his first episode, however, ultimately he's said he's looking for a woman who is "bubbly and we need to have that initial spark. She needs to have a nice personality - like I think I have - so that we match together." He also mentioned as he's reached the age of 25 he's now looking to settle down and have a more serious relationship, "But I am ready again to look for something more serious. I'm 25 now, so I want to be settling down and have someone always by my side." Ok so despite only just stepping into the Love Island Villa, it appears this isn't Shea's first connection with the world of Love Island. Back in June 2022, Love Island's Ella Barnes liked a number of Shea's photos, however Ella hadn't yet at that time been on the show. She also liked one of photo carousels back in July 2023. And in 2021, last year's Uma Jammeh also liked one of Shea's pictures from when he was playing football. However, now neither of the women follower the Islander. If you want to see even more of Shea outside of Love Island then follow him on Instagram at the handle @ where he has just over 6,000 followers and regularly posts from his footie matches and from his holidays with his mates, which includes trips to Ibiza. And he's also on TikTok too. The Islander's handle is @shea_fit and he mainly posts football content and the odd working out advice video. Want even more Love Island gossip? Watch Harriett Blackmore and Catherine Agbaje chat all things Love Island here. Love Island continues on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm tonight
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago baseball report: The White Sox have a youth movement while the Cubs eye the trade deadline
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field following a three-city trip where they faced three of the best starting pitchers in the majors. They continue their stretch of 26 games in 27 days with a 10-day homestand that kicks off Thursday with four against the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates. Manager Will Venable returns to face his previous team on Friday when the White Sox begin a three-game series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Venable spent 2023-24 on Bruce Bochy's staff as the associate manager. Every Thursday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what's ahead — for the Cubs and White weeks before the July 31 trade deadline, the Cubs are still in information-gathering mode. Very few teams are fully committed to selling at this point in the season, but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the front office continue to check in and monitor everything. Beyond that, it'll likely be a few weeks before trade activity starts to pick up. But when the market gets moving, expect Hoyer to be involved to improve a Cubs team that sits 14 games over .500 and currently holds a 4.5-game lead in the National League Central following Wednesday's 7-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. With how things are trending, addressing the rotation and pitching depth will be a priority for the Cubs leading up to the trade deadline. The loss of Justin Steele for the season and injuries to Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks have tested the Cubs' depth. Imanaga is nearing a return from his left hamstring strain. He will pitch three innings in the Arizona Complex League on Saturday, and if everything goes well, his next step would be a rehab outing at Triple A. Assad (reaggravation of oblique strain) is still not expected to be back until after the All-Star break next month. Wicks sustained a hamstring injury and recently threw live batting practice with getting back to Iowa on the horizon. 'We've definitely taken a lot of hits there, and these guys have held up well, but it's a long season,' Hoyer said Wednesday. 'We're not even halfway through yet, so we have to continue to address that in all sorts of ways, whether it's the trade deadline, small transactions, and hopefully get some of these guys healthy.' Barring any other notable injuries, like season-altering ones on the position player side, the Cubs might also target an upgrade for the bench or a complementary piece. 'I do think, in general, that it used to be that you had some more transactions in the tank in August and September, and now you don't, so you have to think about that aspect of it,' Hoyer said. 'You have to play two months without those transactions. 'This group is a really good group. And it's not just on offense, it's on defense as well.' Edgar Quero provided an insurance run Saturday against the Kansas City Royals with a sacrifice fly to center in the eighth inning of a 4-1 win at Rate Field. The next day, the catcher extended a ninth-inning rally with an RBI single. Quero came through in a DH role during Tuesday's series opener at Houston, driving in two with a two-out single in the third inning of a 4-2 victory. Quero has been a consistent contributor at the plate since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte on April 17. He has a .262/.340/.308 with six doubles and 14 RBIs in 41 games entering Wednesday. Before Sunday's game against the Royals, Quero told the Tribune he was 'feeling pretty good.' 'I'm working, especially behind the plate,' Quero said. 'I had a really good day (Saturday) framing. Helped the guys, that was pretty good for me. 'I work every day, trying to do adjustments. Working with (catching coach) Drew (Butera) and doing early work. Just keep working and doing what I do.' Quero is connecting well with the pitching staff. 'He's been doing a really good job back there,' starter Adrian Houser said on Saturday. Quero is splitting time at catcher with another rookie in Kyle Teel, who was called up from Triple A on Friday. 'He's a great guy to work with,' Teel said on Friday. 'He's really smart and he knows the pitching staff well. We talk all the time and it's just great to be back with him.' Quero has enjoyed mixing with the younger players and the veterans. '(I'm) having fun every day,' he said. With Grant Taylor's arrival on Tuesday, the Sox have 10 rookies on the active roster — the most in the majors according to STATS. Pitchers Sean Burke, Shane Smith, Mike Vasil, Owen White, Brandon Eisert and Taylor, catchers Quero and Teel, and infielders Tim Elko and Chase Meidroth round out the list. Ian Happ felt he was getting close. The Cubs' left fielder hadn't been generating the power numbers as expected through the first 2 1/2 months of the season but believed he was getting closer as they started their three-city, nine-game trip. There were signs that had Happ feeling encouraged. Between the swings he was taking against fastballs and his plate discipline of staying in the strike zone was putting him in a good spot. Happ homered three times in the first two games of the Cubs' series in Philadelphia and finished the road trip with five extra-base hits, featuring four long balls. 'It's nice that when you're struggling, the team's still winning, still producing,' Happ said. 'When you're not getting on base for the guys that drive it a bunch of runs, that sucks. You want to be getting on base for those guys consistently. I know that's something that's tough when you're top of the lineup and you're not on base for those guys and (Kyle Tucker) is hitting with nobody on base.' The switch-hitting Happ hit his first home run off a lefty this season in Monday's extra-inning loss, tying the game in the eighth inning by taking Phillies reliever Matt Strahm deep. 'I feel like I've made a lot of really good right-handed swings this year,' Happ said. 'On the right side, it's been pretty consistent: walking, not striking out, and doing a really good job of hitting the ball hard. It's just been low, and so to get one in the air and see leaving that situation was great.' Mike Tauchman doubled with one out in the third inning Tuesday against the Astros. Meidroth followed with a walk. Both later scored on a two-out single by Quero. Tauchman and Meidroth keep finding ways to get on base at the top of the Sox lineup. Leadoff batter Tauchman came into Wednesday with 14-for-47 (.298) with six doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight RBIs and 11 walks in his last 13 games. No. 2 hitter Meidroth is 12-for-32 (.375) with a double, home run, four RBIs and seven walks in his last nine games. Overall this season, Tauchman entered Wednesday hitting .286 with a .414 on-base percentage in 20 games while Meidroth had a .293 average and .383 on-base percentage in 44 games. 'Just really consistent, quality at-bats where you have guys who control the zone extremely well,' Venable said before Tuesday's game, also including Miguel Vargas in that mix, 'so it's been nice to start your day as an offense with those three guys.' 'When he punched out (Kyle) Schwarber and punched out (Alec) Bohm, that's the Ryan Pressly that we're used to seeing, and I think he keeps getting better, which is fantastic.' —
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's biceps and the bigger conversation around women and muscles
Thanks to a strain that's left her sidelined for weeks, all eyes are on Caitlin Clark's quad right now. But it's the Indiana Fever star's arms that had people talking in the days leading up to her second WNBA season. It all started in March, when 23-year-old Clark was photographed cheering on her alma mater, the Iowa Hawkeyes, during the NCAA Big Ten tournament. 'Okkkkk hello arms!' one commenter wrote, adding a flexed bicep emoji in reaction to the point guard's noticeably muscular appearance. Those muscles were on display when Clark's team photo was released in early May, prompting side-by-side comparisons to her 2024 physique. According to Clark herself, she's been intentionally bulking up since last year. 'I try to put on some weight and I've been working hard in the weight room,' she told reporters in August. That ramped up in the offseason, per the Fever's head athletic performance coach, Sarah Kessler, who told ESPN that Clark was in the weight room four to five times a week. Cue the toned courtside pic that got tongues wagging in March — and a lot of body discourse that not everyone is comfortable with. 'Speculating about women's bodies generally and speculation of women athletes' bodies is not new,' Michelle Manno, a sociologist, associate provost for community enrichment at Northwestern University and the author of Denied: Women, Sports and the Contradictions of Identity, tells Yahoo Life. 'What stands out as new to me in this case is that the speculation is positive. … For the most part, we're seeing people applauding [Clark's] effort to get stronger and gain muscles between seasons.' Indeed, adjectives like 'beautiful' have been used alongside 'jacked' and 'ripped' as commenters weigh in on Clark's muscles. One X user hailed her as having the 'peak female athlete form,' while an Instagram commenter wrote, 'Girl you show off those muscles. You worked hard on those. Lookin' great.' According to Mikala Jamison, author of the newsletter Body Type, those compliments are a sign of evolving standards. 'It's hard to overstate how much conversations about women and their musculature has changed,' she tells Yahoo Life. She references a survey done by writer Leigh Peele in 2009 (which Jamison wrote about in 2022) in which 2,000 women were polled on their views about weightlifting and the attractiveness of muscles. The majority of those surveyed indicated that they didn't like the look of muscles on their own bodies and figured men didn't find it attractive either. A majority also said they'd rather be 'too thin than either too fat or too muscular,' and when asked which female celebrity exemplified the 'muscular/bulky' look, many chose Hilary Swank (43%) and Jessica Biel (36%). 'There was this sense that any shade of muscularity on a woman's body wasn't something that, at least per this survey, was desired by a lot of women. And there are a thousand reasons for that in the culture and in media messaging,' says Jamison. 'But that has definitely changed over the years, and you see that in things like more women strength training regularly than ever before.' A growing interest in lifting weights, eating more protein and paying more attention to the benefits of building muscle has roots in conversations about menopause and aging. However, the reaction to Clark's body in particular seems to be an indication that the positive messaging about stronger bodies could be reaching and influencing younger women as well. The focus on Clark's muscles follows a general shift in gears in terms of how female athletes — and their bodies — are being discussed. 'People were talking about this a lot during the [2024] Olympics with Ilona Maher,' says Jamison, referring to the U.S. women's rugby player who won bronze in Paris last summer. 'She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and she's not a super-slender, super-skinny woman. She's very muscular.' After nabbing the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit digital cover last fall, Maher donned a bikini again to pose for the pages of the magazine's recently released 2025 print issue, which quotes her as saying, 'I hope people see my photos and understand that strength can be so beautiful and so feminine.' The latest issue has won praise for featuring various female athletes, including fellow Olympians Jordan Chiles and Gabby Thomas. 'How different my and many other women's lives would be if these strong bodies were the center of attention when I was growing up,' one fan commented. 'If you see more different types, sizes and shapes of bodies, it gives any person who is seeing those body types an understanding that there are many different ways that your body could look, or maybe that you want your body to look like,' Jamison points out. But even still, who people praise is dependent on certain standards. 'If I think about athletes like Serena Williams or Brittney Griner, the commentary around their bodies throughout the course of their careers has been pretty uniformly negative,' says Manno. 'So when I see what's happening with Caitlin Clark, I have to think that her race and her gender expression' — i.e., being a white, straight woman — 'are really helping her in this moment.' At the end of the day, the beauty standard for any and all women continues to be a tight line to walk, especially for those in sports, according to Manno. 'A lot of women athletes still navigate this very strong tension between wanting to be strong, wanting to do the things that they need to do to excel at their sport and still be accepted societally as looking, quote-unquote, appropriately feminine enough,' she says.
