Poll bumps Cardinals broadcast team up to eighth-worst in baseball

For all the success that the St. Louis Cardinals have enjoyed on the diamond over the past decade, the broadcast team has continually underwhelmed in the eyes of fans. Awful Announcing just released its ranking of the broadcast crews for every team in baseball, as voted on by fans, and the Cardinals ranked 23rd, with a grade of 2.126. Despite the lackluster showing, this is the highest that the Cardinals have ever finished on the site, as they ranked 28th in 2014, 30th in 2016, 29th in 2017, 27th in 2018, 27th in 2019 and 26th in 2023.

Cardinals fans have likely grown more accustomed to Chip Caray in his second year as the team's play-by-play after he replaced Dan McLaughlin, who had spent 24 years behind the mic before Bally Sports parted ways with him after the 2022 season. Caray, described by one person on the Gateway Redbirds fan forum as "a walking early-20th century Urban Dictionary," seems to possess a never-ending supply of unique baseball jargon, such as dubbing a base a "pillow." His colorful vernacular could stem from his father and grandfather serving as major league broadcasters as well.

Caray has a few other quirks that can either grate or grow on viewers as time passes, such as his propensity to name a random city in the area where a fan catching a foul ball is supposedly from, and his remarkably consistent ability to mention when a pitcher has thrown 69 pitches in a game.

But Caray isn't the only one calling games in the booth. Brad Thompson often works alongside Caray as a color commentator, delivering witty back-and-forth banter and clever wordplay of his own. Thompson meshed well with McLaughlin, and he didn't miss a beat when Caray replaced him.

The Cardinals' other color commentator receives far more flak and is a likely culprit for the Cardinals continuing to finish in the bottom third of the broadcaster rankings. Jim Edmonds is often blasted by fans for his tangents, such as when he brings up text messages he receives, and he has been embroiled in a few controversies stemming from on-air comments, including when he recently made the news for his criticism of the Chicago Cubs' Christopher Morel when Morel celebrated a home run.

Personally, I love Edmonds. He provides the most insightful analysis of the game out of any of the broadcasters, and his occasional passionate rants and off-the-cuff remarks paint him in a more authentic and relatable light to me as a fan.

The Cardinals' resident regional cable journalist, Jim "The Cat" Hayes, remains one of the best in the business at what he does when talking with players during the pregame show and relaying that information to those watching on television. His interactions with fans are also top-notch; one can't forget the classic 2015 AT&T Rooftop interview.

McLaughlin and some of his most famous calls will always hold a special place in many fans' hearts, but Caray is forging his own path with the Cardinals and their viewers. The rankings might not fully illustrate it, but the Cardinals broadcasting team is an all-around delight and deserves to rocket up the list in the future.