Meet the Marquee Sports Network Reporters and On-Air Talent (2024)

Jon “Boog” Sciambi

Sciambi joined Marquee Sports Network as television play-by-play announcer on January 4, 2021. In 2023, Sciambi earned the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports Play-by-Play. Sciambi previously served as a radio broadcaster with the Florida Marlins from 1997-2004 and as the lead play-by-play television announcer for the Atlanta Braves from 2007-09. Beginning in 2010, he joined ESPN full-time, serving in numerous roles with the network, most prominently as the voice of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball for MLB on ESPN Radio, and as the regular play-by-play voice on Wednesday Night Baseball telecasts for ESPN since 2014.

Beginning in 2023, Sciambi serves as the lead play-by-play voice on ESPN Radio for the national call of the World Series, joining Vin Scully, Jack Buck, John Miller and Dan Shulman as just the fifth voice to call the World Series nationally on the radio since 1979. His time at ESPN dates to 2005, when he began doing play-by-play for select college basketball and MLB games, and he has continued in play-by-play for both sports during his tenure at ESPN. He also has held play-by-play duties for both the College and Little League World Series. In addition to his play-by-play duties at Marquee, he will continue to serve as a multiplatform broadcaster for ESPN.

“Boog” is on the Board of Directors for Project Main St., a charity dedicated to providing financial assistance to people living with ALS. The charity was created in 2006 by one of Jon’s childhood friends, Tim Sheehy, who passed away from the disease in 2007. For more information and to help support grants for individuals living with ALS, please visit here.

Jim Deshaies

Deshaies joined the Chicago Cubs broadcast booth as a color commentator in 2013, and 2024 marks his 12th season calling Cubs games. Deshaies was part of Marquee’s first game broadcast as he was in the booth for the Cubs Spring Training victory at Sloan Park, February 22, 2020. Prior to joining the Cubs, “JD” spent 16 seasons in the same role with the Houston Astros, receiving a 2010 Lone Star Emmy for Broadcast Excellence.

A 12-year major league veteran, the left-handed hurler posted a 4.14 ERA in 257 games (253 starts) with the Yankees (1984), Astros (1985-91), Padres (1992), Twins (1993, 1994), Giants (1993) and Phillies (1995). In 1986, he set a club rookie record with 12 wins for the West Division champion Houston Astros, while setting a modern-day major league record, September 23 of that season, as he struck out the first eight batters he faced in the start. His 61 victories with the Astros are fifth-most in franchise history among left-handed pitchers, and he was on the ballot in 1999 as one of the starting pitchers on the Astros All-Astrodome Team.

Follow on X: @JimDeshaies

Cole Wright

Wright joined Marquee Sports Network as a studio host upon the launch of the network in 2020. He serves as the primary host for Cubs pregame and postgame coverage on Cubs Live!, while also hosting The Official Bears Postgame Live, airing immediately after Chicago Bears regular season games. Wright spent the previous five years as an anchor and host with NFL Network. He previously covered high school and college sports in Texas and Louisiana, while spending time with ESPN, Fox Sports 1, NESN and SportsNet LA.

A Chicago-area native and lifelong Cubs fan, Wright attended Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois, before graduating from Briar Cliff University (Iowa) with a degree in communications.

Follow on X: @ColeWright

Taylor McGregor

McGregor joined Marquee Sports Network as the field reporter upon the launch of the network in 2020, and contributes to the network through multiple platforms, including Cubs 360 as well as pregame and postgame coverage. McGregor also serves as host of Bears Den on Marquee Sports Network, airing on Tuesdays through football season. McGregor previously was an on-field reporter for the Colorado Rockies with AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain for two seasons and continues in a role with ESPN doing college football games in the fall.

A proud graduate of the University of Arkansas, McGregor is a native of Golden, Colorado. Her father, Keli, was a former NFL player and served as President of the Colorado Rockies from 2001 until his passing in 2010.

Follow on X: @Taylor_McGregor

Elise Menaker

Menaker joined Marquee Sports Network as a field reporter and studio host in February of 2020, contributing to game broadcasts and hosting pregame and postgame shows. Menaker is also the host of Bear Essentials on Marquee Sports Network, airing on Fridays through football season. Menaker also serves as a studio host, football sideline reporter and softball analyst for Big Ten Network, where she has worked since 2017.

Menaker graduated from Cornell University where she was a four-year starter on the softball team and was named to the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020. Menaker won back-to-back Ivy League championships, was a three-time First-Team All-Ivy League pick and graduated with Cornell’s career record for doubles and ranks top five all-time in home runs, slugging percentage, RBI, runs scored and batting average. Upon graduation, she played professional softball in Sweden. Following her softball career, she covered Illinois High School Association events for NBC Sports Chicago and worked as a Reporter for KMIZ-TV (ABC/FOX) in Columbia, Mo., an Anchor/Reporter for WAND-TV (NBC) in Decatur, Ill. and a Sports Anchor/Reporter for WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee, Wisc. She received her Master of Science degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Follow on X: @Elisem*naker

Pat Hughes

Hughes is the Chicago Cubs radio play-by-play voice for 670 The Score, in his 29th season calling Cubs games in 2024. He is the 2023 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He is a nine-time recipient of the Illinois Sportscaster of the Year Award and in 2017 was the recipient of the Ring Lardner Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism in the broadcast category. Prior to joining the Cubs, he spent 12 seasons on the Milwaukee Brewers radio network from 1984-95. In 1983, he served as the TV voice of the Minnesota Twins.

Hughes serves as play-by-play voice for a select number of games on Marquee Sports Network, his fourth-straight season as a fill-in play-by-play TV broadcaster.

Beth Mowins

Mowins has been a broadcaster for ESPN since 1994, calling primarily men’s and women’s college sports, and in 2017 she became the first woman in 30 years to call a National Football League game. She has been the voice of the Women’s Softball College World Series for more than 20 years. A 1989 graduate of Lafayette College, Mowins was a three-time all-conference basketball selection and is a member of the Lafayette College Maroon Club Hall of Fame. She earned her master’s in communications from Syracuse University and was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Hall of Fame in 2009.

Mowins will serve as play-by-play announcer for a select number of Cubs games this season. In 2021, she became the first woman to serve as play-by-play voice in Chicago Cubs history.

Follow on X: @bethmowins

Joe Girardi

Girardi joined Marquee Sports Network as a game analyst in August of 2022.

A 15-year major league veteran, Girardi was drafted by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 1986 draft out of Northwestern University and played seven seasons with the Cubs, including earning a NL All-Star appearance in 2000. Since retiring from playing, Girardi has managed parts of 14 seasons with the Marlins (2006), New York Yankees (2008-17) and Philadelphia Phillies (2020-22), posting a record of 1,120-935 (.545 winning percentage).

Girardi has earned three World Series championships as a player with the Yankees (1996, 1998, 1999) and returned to lead the Yankees to a World Series championship as the manager in 2009.

Doug Glanville

Glanville, a nine-year MLB veteran, is a Marquee Sports Network analyst and the host of Class is in Session with Doug Glanville presented by UI Health, a half-hour panel show exploring the intersection between sports and larger society. Glanville was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 1991 MLB draft and made his major league debut with Chicago in 1996. After spending five-plus seasons with Philadelphia and Texas, he returned to the Cubs in 2003 and hit a go-ahead triple in the 11th inning of Game Three of the NLCS against the Marlins.

Glanville is a frequent contributor to numerous outlets, including ESPN, the New York Times and The Athletic, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut. He is the author of The Game From Where I Stand, an inside look at the human side of the game of baseball, and is outspoken on topics relating to the human condition, including culture, diversity, overcoming adversity and community building. Glanville is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Follow on X: @dougglanville

Ryan Dempster

Dempster joined Marquee Sports Network as a game analyst and studio host upon the launch of the network in 2020. In April 2020, he premiered Off the Mound with Ryan Dempster presented by Sloan, a late-night style talk show airing on Friday nights on Marquee Sports Network. He also serves as a game analyst during select Chicago Cubs games in addition to serving on additional Marquee Sports Network programming.

Dempster began his MLB career with the Florida Marlins (1998-2002) and Cincinnati Reds (2002-2003) before spending nine seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2004-2012). After spending one season with the Texas Rangers (2012), he joined the Boston Red Sox in 2013 and won a World Series championship in his final season in the majors.

In 2000, Ryan received the James “Tip” O’Neill Award from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and he was the Chicago Cubs’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for community service in 2006 and 2008. A native of Gibsons, British Columbia, Dempster was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Follow on X: @Dempster46

Rick Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe is an analyst for Marquee Sports Network. The “Red Baron” went 82-65 with a 3.74 ERA in 193 games with the Cubs from 1984-1991. After being traded from Cleveland to Chicago in the middle of the 1984 season, he proceeded to go 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 20 starts to finish the season, earning the N.L. Cy Young Award. In 18 major league seasons with five clubs, Sutcliffe went 171-139 with a 4.08 ERA and was a three-time All-Star and 1979 N.L. Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers.

Cliff Floyd

Floyd joined Marquee Sports Network as a studio analyst in March of 2022 and contributes primarily to studio pre-game and post-game coverage. A Chicago-native and member of the 2007 Cubs, Floyd has been a broadcaster since 2010, including currently in roles with MLB Network and MLB Network Radio. Floyd was drafted in the first round of the 1991 MLB draft out of Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, and went on to play 17 major league seasons.

Follow on X: @CliffFloyd30

Dexter Fowler

Fowler is a studio analyst for Marquee Sports Network. Fowler played two seasons with the Cubs from 2015-16, serving as the team’s primary leadoff hitter and contributing to some of the biggest moments in franchise history, including his historic leadoff home run in Game Seven of the 2016 World Series.

Fowler announced his retirement in 2023 following a 14-season major league career with the Rockies, Astros, Cubs, Cardinals and Angels.

Follow on X: @DexterFowler

Sean Marshall

Marshall is a studio and game analyst for Marquee Sports Network. Sean was drafted by the Cubs in the sixth round of the 2003 draft and made his major league debut with Chicago in 2006. He appeared in six seasons with the club from 2006-11, posting a 3.96 ERA in 292 appearances, including 59 starts. All told, he played nine major league seasons, including three with the Reds, retiring following the 2014 season.

Follow on X: @SeanMarshall45

Gary “Sarge” Matthews

A former Cubs great, “Sarge” serves as a contributor to Marquee Sports Network’s pre-game and post-game studio shows. A 16-year major leaguer from 1972-87, Matthews played a critical role on the famed 1984 Cubs team, batting .291 with 21 doubles, 14 homers and 82 RBI in 147 games, finishing fifth in the N.L. MVP voting. In four seasons with the Cubs from 1984-87, Matthews batted .266 with 48 homers in 411 games.

Carlos Peña

Peña is an analyst for Marquee Sports Network. Peña played 14 major league seasons and was named an American League All-Star in 2009 with Tampa Bay as he hit 39 homers and drove in 100 runs. He totaled 286 homers in his career, reaching at least 30 homers and 100 RBI in three-straight seasons from 2007-09. He played for the Cubs in 2011, hitting 28 homers and driving in 80 runs. In 14 seasons, he played for eight clubs and retired following the 2014 season.

Follow on X: @Plakata

Ryan Sweeney

Sweeney is a studio analyst for Marquee Sports Network. Sweeney played nine major league seasons, including his final two seasons with the Cubs from 2013-14. With Chicago, he batted .258 with nine homers and 39 RBI in 147 games. All told, in nine major league seasons with the White Sox (2006-07), Athletics (2008-11), Red Sox (2012) and Cubs, he hit .276 with 23 homers and 224 RBI in 682 games.

Lance Brozdowski

Brozdowski is a player development analyst for Marquee Sports Network. He previously worked for Driveline Baseball as a video editor, and has written for Associated Press and Baseball Prospectus. Brozdowski holds a graduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Follow on X: @LanceBroz

Bruce Levine

Levine is a contributor to Marquee Sports Network, in addition to serving as a baseball analyst for 670 The Score. He has covered baseball for more than 30 years, previously working for the Chicago Sun-Times, Sporting News and ESPN.

Follow on X: @MLBBruceLevine

Robbie Gould

Gould joined Marquee Sports Network in 2024 as a co-host forBears Den, airing on Tuesdays during the NFL season with host Taylor McGregor.

A former NFL kicker, Gould recently completed an 18-season NFL career, including 11 seasons with the Bears from 2005-15 in which he became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 1,207 points.

Gould retired in 2023 and now serves as head coach at Rolling Meadows High School in Illinois.

Follow on X:@RobbieGould09

Jeff Joniak

Joniak joined Marquee Sports Network in 2023, contributing toThe Official Bears Postgame Livewith live, on-site interviews from the stadium.

Joniak has served as the radio play-by-play announcer of the Chicago Bears since 2000, in addition to hosting numerous weekly radio shows.

A Chicago-area native, Joniak is a graduate of Iowa State University.

Follow on X:@JeffJoniak

Tom Waddle

Waddle joined Marquee Sports Network as a Bears analyst in 2023, and this year will serve as an analyst forBear Essentials, airing on Fridays during the NFL season with host Elise Menaker.

Waddle was a Wide Receiver for six seasons with the Bears from 1989-94, compiling 2,109 receiving yards and nine touchdowns with Chicago.

Waddle serves as host of the Waddle & Silvy show on ESPN 1000.

Follow on X:@TWaddle87

Coach Dave Wannstedt

Wannstedt joined Marquee Sports Network in 2024 as an analyst forThe Official Bears Postgame Live alongside host Cole Wright.

A long-time NFL and college head coach, Wannstedt served as head coach of the Bears from 1993-98, including earning a playoff berth in 1994. Wannstedt helped guide the Cowboys to a Super Bowl championship in 1992 as the team’s defensive coordinator.

A native of Baldwin, Pennsylvania, Wannstedt attended the University of Pittsburgh.

Scott Bair

Bair joined Marquee Sports Network in 2024 as the network’s Bears insider, covering all Chicago Bears news across digital and social platforms. Bair will also be a weekly contributor to The Official Bears Postgame Live with insights and reports from each Bears game.

Bair has covered the NFL for 16 seasons, including the Chargers (2008-12), Raiders (2013-20) and Falcons (2021-23).

Follow on X: @ScottBairNFL

Stephen Bardo

Stephen Bardo has been covering the Sky since 2015. He has experience as a college basketball analyst and sports broadcaster with FOX Sports and Big Ten Network. He previously worked with CBS-2 Chicago, covering local professional, collegiate, and high school athletics.

Born in Kentucky, Bardo played basketball at the University of Illinois and was part of the “Flyin’ Illini” team that went to the Final Four in 1989, a season that also saw him named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Bardo was a two-time All-Big Ten selection during his collegiate career. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1990 NBA draft and played for the Spurs, Mavericks, and Pistons during his NBA tenure. He also played overseas during his professional career.

Follow on X: @stephenbardo

Karli Bell

Karli Bell is a Chicago Sky digital reporter for Marquee Sports Network and the host of Chicago Sky: No Limits presented by Wintrust, a monthly show highlighting the biggest stories from on and off the court, including exclusive interviews, game analysis and more.

A native Chicagoan, Bell graduated from Ohio University. Prior to joining Marquee Sports Network in 2020, Bell worked most recently as a weekend sports anchor and multi-media journalist for WICS 20 in Springfield, Illinois.

Follow on X: @KarliBell33

Lisa Byington

Lisa Byington is the voice of the Chicago Sky and the first woman to be the full-time play-by-play announcer for an NBA team, joining the Milwaukee Bucks broadcast team in 2021. Byington was previously a play-by-play announcer and sideline reporter for college football and basketball games on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network. She has made history multiple times, becoming the first woman to serve as play-by-play announcer for a football game on Big Ten Network in 2017 and the first woman to call play-by-play for an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game in 2021.

Prior to broadcasting, Byington was a two-sport athlete at Northwestern University, playing soccer and basketball. Her efforts helped both teams reach the NCAA tournament, and she earned All-Academic Big Ten Honors along the way.

Follow on X: @LisaByington

Shimmy Gray-Miller

Shimmy Gray-Miller is an analyst for Chicago Sky broadcasts on Marquee Sports Network and contributes to Chicago Sky: No Limits presented by Wintrust. A 24-year coaching veteran, her career has included stops ay Minnesota, Clemson, Texas Tech, Florida and more.

Gray-Miller graduated from the University of Michigan where she served as team captain of the women’s basketball team during the 1993-94 season.

Follow on X: @Shimmy33

Jason Ross Jr.

Jason Ross Jr. joined the Chicago Sky broadcast team in 2022. He has worked as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Chicago Blackhawks and called sporting events on WGN Radio 720-AM. Ross previously did commentary for ESPN, Big Ten Network, and FOX Sports and was the play-by-play commentator for the Oakland University women’s basketball team.

A Detroit native, Ross attended Oakland Community College and received his bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Lawrence Technological University.

Follow on X: @JasonRossJr1