Local sports media personality David Kaplan says that he was practically at a loss for words following the trade of his sidekick Ryan Theriot to the Dodgers just before the July 31 trade deadline.
“My career was on autopilot the past few years since most of my shows featured Ryan,” Kaplan said, referring to such WGN 720 programs as “Talking to Ryan Theriot as he Washes his Car.”
Theriot was by far Kaplan’s most frequent on-air guest. The Comcast and Tribune personality often ribbed Theriot in an attempt to position himself as “one of the guys” with Cubs players.
“I deliberately misnamed that show just to get under Ryan’s skin, the former LSU Tiger,” Kaplan said with a laugh. “Usually, Rich Harden was the one washing Ryan’s truck parked outside in Ryan’s driveway while I was talking to Ryan on his cell phone as he ate dinner inside his house with Janna and the kids.”
“No!” Theriot is heard saying over a typical cell phone connection on an archived audiotape from Kaplan’s personal collection. “Rich isn’t washing my truck,” Theriot said. “He’s washing his own truck.”
Kaplan says he will miss calling Theriot while the ex-Cub is enjoying a night off at a Pearl Jam concert as he did a few months back.
“The fact that Ryan is now 2000 miles away no longer wearing Cubbie blue isn’t the issue,” Kaplan said. “It’s the fact that he changed his phone number and he won’t give it to me.”
By Rob C. Christiansen
