MLB broadcast rankings just disrespected the Cardinals' booth

Among the many things the St. Louis Cardinals excel at, reportage is high on the list–with a booth that keeps fans engaged, one of the best radio broadcasts in baseball, and a contingent of esteemed writers and reporters, baseball in St. Louis has plenty of personality surrounding Cardinal baseball. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees, and a recent ranking may have just disrespected the Redbirds’ broadcast. 

In the latest MLB broadcast rankings by Awful Announcing, Sean Keeley dove into what makes each team’s voices tick and how they cement themselves when calling a game. 

Notably, the Athletics landed in last place, and the Padres’ booth led the way, finishing in first. 

Where does that leave the Cardinals? Well, uh, 18th…

St. Louis was docked for the comedic banter between Chip Caray and Brad Thompson, which some described as distracting. Sideline reporters Dani Wexelman and Jim Hayes received nothing but praise. 

It’s interesting, to say the least, that this is the reaction from fans. Dan Orsillo of the Padres’ booth makes his money on wacky, sometimes borderline corny calls that keep the game moving at a steady pace. That’s not to say he doesn’t have his own kit of sharp vernacular, but it’s not leaps and bounds beyond Chip. 

Cardinal fans, in a word, should be upset. The work by Chip, Brad, Dani, and The Cat is above and beyond many other broadcasts. 

Realistically, it’s all opinionated. Chip and Brad may entertain one person and bother another. It’s hard to justify either way, as the matter is blatantly subjective. 

However, it’s worth noting that Caray succeeded one of the best voices in St. Louis sports history, Dan McLaughlin. 

Since the departure of “Danny Mac,” Cardinal baseball has been in the very capable hands of Chip and Brad. Not once have you seen people clamoring for their old announcer back. That’s rare, and it has nothing to do with a lack of love for McLaughlin, and everything to do with the organization's newest broadcast and how seamless the transition was. 

Still, what do Chip, Brad, Dani, Jim, and Stefan Caray do well? 

What makes the Cardinals broadcast special? 

Relationships: Fans have been spoiled–spoiled beyond words to have a group as airtight as the one in St. Louis. It’s become easy to recognize booths that don’t work together often, well, or at all. And that’s because the one in The Lou mixes effortlessly. Be it Chip’s sly questions, Brad’s goofy answers, Dani’s seamless transitions, or The Cat on the prowl, St. Louis is a city with a voice; not every city can claim the same. 

Storytelling: Baseball is a game. Reporting on the game is telling a story. When you tune into a Cardinals broadcast, if it’s a great game, you’ll have every play relayed, broken down, and turned into an easily digestible product. But what about when they suck? What about those 10-0 losses to a division rival where fans want to claw their eyes out? Well, you can expect an all-time story from Chip, who’s seen enough baseball to house the minds of an entire stadium. Or a funny question posed by Brad, who embodies what it means to be a left-handed reliever more than words can depict–and even fun tidbits from Dani, who has been a godsend for the Cardinals’ broadcast. Say what you want, but I love stories. Every game becomes a story when it’s over. The Cardinals’ booth has plenty of stories to tell. 

Professionalism: There's a time to hold players accountable and a time to show love, but you'll never see disrespect on the Redbirds broadcast. Poor word choices are rare, and sometimes, boring is better. The adage that "good umpires are rarely noticed" can often apply to broadcasts. Recently, the voice of the Yankees, Michael Kay, called a big offensive inning an "offensive orgy," sparking an internet frenzy over his asinine phrasing. You don't have to worry about that in St. Louis. The worst you'll get is when Chip, Brad, and Dani have competition to see who can read the promos best.

Cardinals fans are blessed to have Chip, Brad, Dani, Stefan, Jim Hayes, John Rooney, Mike Claiborne, and Ricky Horton. 

They can keep those rankings; we’ll keep our guys and gals. 

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