In fact, I remember Rozner once saying a few years ago that Pat didn't want the pre/post game guy doing "play by play" in the inning he took off. That was his call. That's why it's always been the color guy doing it.

Yep. I figured it out. Here's my reasoning.

1. There is no way somebody at WBBM or WSCR said, "Hey we need to make a switch". Why would they care or even think to make a change? Things are going well. Grote was good with the Cubs. And Zack just got the stupid sound at Halas Hall and apologized for the Bears.

2. Pat is powerful and like somebody mentioned, didn't get Grote's humor. Didn't like that he would out shine him at times. I don't think he liked Grote. Pat has an ego. In fact, I remember Rozner once saying a few years ago that Pat didn't want the pre/post game guy doing "play by play" in the inning he took off. That was his call. That's why it's always been the color guy doing it. The athlete does it instead of the pro broadcaster. Which doesn't make sense. But it's because Pat knows the athlete is no threat where the pre/post guy might be a threat.

3. Zack is a classic broadcasting type with no personality. Which is what Pat wants. Not a Grote type with a personality.

Boom!!! There it is. (Drops the mic)

You remembered wrong: Andy Masur, Cory Provus, and Judd Sirott all did pregame, postgame, and limited play-by-play.

I couldn't see Grote getting his girlfriend pregnant and not at least announcing an engagement or (shotgun) wedding.

I couldn't see Grote getting his girlfriend pregnant and not at least announcing an engagement or (shotgun) wedding.

Yeah, he's not Wayne Randazzo.

If not Hughes , something happened behind the scenes to cause this. No way was this Grotes call to walk away from this . Someone wanted him to not do this any longer .

Yeah and no one wants ZZ

Only thing that makes sense is if for some reason the Cub wanted someone in that role who has no chance of ever impregnating a woman.

What are the chances ZZ wanted a change and pulled the longevity with the 670 team card?

Reviewed tweets, and Grote has been more Bear centric since the end of baseball. Has more Mirotic retweets from KJ than he does anything on WCUB. Almost as though he knew this was coming. Question is did he push for exit, or someone else.

They might have told him after the Cubs season was over and said the move wouldn’t be made until Zaidman was finished with the Bears this year. That timing makes sense.

Pat learned a hell of a lot more from Bob Uecker than he ever did from Harry Caray, but you know what, just roll.

Pat knows the "color guy" is gonna be bad at the play by play for the one inning. And it's accepted by everybody because it's the dumb jock doing it. The last thing Pat wanted was to hear the pre and post guy do it because people might think he's better then him.

Also, Pat might have heard from a lot of Cubs fans that they liked Grote. Pat didn't like that Grote had become popular. That didn't sit well with him. So he talked to Cubs brass and they got Grote the hell out of there.

Making the switch to the bland, no personality, cookie-cutter-broadcaster, Zack Zaidman. Somebody that Pat would be comfortable with. Because no Cubs fan is ever gonna say they like Zack. Nobody likes Zack. That's how Pat wants it. Just like nobody really liked the pre and post guys before Grote. They were that bland type as well.

We have always heard stories about how Harry Caray was a dick to his fellow broadcasters. Pat Hughes learned this from Harry. Pat worked with Harry for a few years. Pat thinks he's a mad man like Harry and can pull these power moves like Harry did. Harry got a few guys fired. I'll bet Keith Moreland was let go because Pat didn't like him.

Word on the mean streets of the Twitterverse is that noted company drone Crane Kenney wasn’t the biggest fan of how Grote fit in the broadcast and made a call to Mitch.

That's unfortunate. Thanks, br. I like Pat & Mark and enjoyed the broadcasts better before ZZ.

Glad to help Peeps.