Adam Wainwright enjoys watching NFL games on television and really likes the work of CBS’ lead game analyst.
“What gets my juices flowing — I’m a huge NFL fan — is when I see Tony Romo calling those games and some of those (other networks’) very talented color commentators calling games and giving their expertise from the playing side of it,†Wainwright said this week. “I really feel like — maybe not to that level — but I feel like I can do that if I get that opportunity.â€
Well, the entry ramp for that opportunity is here. Fox ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ officials announced Thursday that Wainwright, who spent his entire 18-season big league career pitching for the Cardinals, has been hired as a commentator to call about 15 MLB contests this year.
Fox shows games on most Saturdays throughout the season, up to three regionally each time, as well as contests on nearly two dozen weeknights either over the air (KTVI, Channel 2 locally) or on cable (FS1). Joe Davis (play-by-play) and John Smoltz (analysis) again front the lead team, but Wainwright’s partner(s) and schedule have not yet been announced other than he will be the commentator for the Phillies-Mets game June 8 in London. He’s eager to get started with his limited schedule — by his choice — after having done a playoff series for Fox in 2020, 2021 and last year.
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“It’s perfect for me,†he said of the workload. “I want to stay in the game somehow and definitely knew coaching is too many hours for my family and me to want to do that. I love broadcasting. I got my feet wet in it the last few years — unfortunately — calling postseason games rather than playing. Being able to call those big games, those are postseason games, to jump right in, I felt comfortable. I had a great team with (play-by-play broadcaster) Adam Amin and (fellow commentator) A.J. Pierzynski, those guys taught me a lot. I love watching the game, I love talking baseball and I love teaching what I’ve learned, and hopefully I can do some of that on the broadcasts.â€
Although his playing days are over as he retired shortly after picking up his milestone 200th victory in September, he remains busy. While acknowledging he “could see it growing†when referring to his broadcasting career, he is in no hurry for it to do so. He also has dabbled as a country music artist, and that hobby is growing into much more than that as he has an album coming out Feb. 23 with tour dates on the horizon.
“Right now, my wife says that I have three full-time jobs,†he said. “One’s at home, obviously. I took this job with Fox, and I’m also playing concerts all over the country this year. She’s like, ‘Hey, can we just relax on commitments for a little while?’ I agree with that. I’m trying to honor our family’s time. I’ve been away for a long time. It’s a lot of key moments in our kids’ youth. I catch most of them, but some you miss because you’re gone.
“... I want to be a great husband; I want to be a great father. I don’t want to commit too much.â€
Judy Boyd, senior vice president of Fox ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, said Wainwright’s schedule at the network was crafted around his other endeavors.
“Right now, he’s just trying to figure out what retirement feels like, and we’ll see where it goes,†she said, adding that he has the potential to hit it big. “The way he delivers it to the audience is very easy to understand, if I’m sitting at home and I’m not a professional baseball player, to understand what one pitcher might be looking at, what one manager might be thinking. How players are feeling in a certain situation. All those things it really brought a different perspective and a fun perspective for our postseason coverage.
“The level of experience, the way he delivers and the way he relates is really appealing to an audience,†she added. “He’s not talking over them or down to them with his baseball experience and the knowledge he puts out there.â€
St. Louis homecoming
Wainwright’s many travels will take him to St. Louis, but this time, he will be appearing on a concert stage instead of a pitching mound. He’s set to play April 6 at Chaifetz Arena when he opens for Zac Brown Band in a benefit performance for Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. He said he also has been booked to play this summer as part of the events surrounding the NASCAR race in Madison, Illinois, as well as at the Washington (Missouri) County Fair.
But don’t expect him to be jamming at those shindigs on the customized Les Paul guitar the Cardinals gave him as one of their gifts at his retirement ceremony.
“Oh no. No, no,†Wainwright said when asked if he uses it often. “That’s for the wall, for the display case. That thing is unbelievable. I will crank it up every now and then to make sure it’s rippin’. But it’s a Les Paul Gibson, so it’s going to be great.â€
At those shows, there’s a better chance of seeing the puppy Wainwright was given on retirement day than hearing that guitar.
“The dog’s sitting right beside me; I’m in my truck now,†he said on the phone. “He’s my helper today†while running an errand before picking up his kids at school. “He pretty much goes with me everywhere. He’s fit in great. Our kids love him, and my wife, I think, wants to get another because he’s been so great. ... He’s an awesome dog.â€
The dog isn’t likely to accompany Wainwright to any of the yet-to-be-announced studio work sessions he is expected to have for MLB Network. But he evidently won’t fill one role that would seem like a natural, as an occasional commentator on Cardinals telecasts. The club and its telecaster, Bally ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Midwest, expressed mutual interest after last season ended. However, Wainwright said he never pushed the idea.
“It’s not something I really looked into this year,†he said. “They have such a great team there, and I’m very sensitive to the guys who have paid their dues there. ... The last thing I want to do is step on toes that have been so great to me. We’ll will see about that in the future.â€
That future for BSM is murky after the coming season as its parent company tries to emerge from bankruptcy and could lose the rights to the Cardinals. Where their games end up in 2025 is a mystery.
Big picture
Despite easing into broadcasting this year, Wainwright certainly does not lack confidence as he has Romo’s lofty broadcasting status as motivation.
“Anything I do, I want to be great at, I’ll work at it,†he said. “I always ask lots of questions to guys who have been doing it a lot longer than me — which is pretty much everybody. I’ve gotten some great advice from so many people. So I’m looking forward to doing it.â€
Boyd, the Fox ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ executive, said Wainwright’s eager-to-learn and regular-guy attitude during his playoff appearances have been a hit with his colleagues.
“The best. He’s never come in with an air of anything,†she said. “... He comes in with zero air of expectation. He knows he’s learning the craft, he’s trying to figure it out. He realizes that he has to learn some things about TV, like when a pitch is coming hold your thought†until that is finished. “There’s not one person on the crew who has said, ‘Oh he needs this or that.’ He’s here to learn.
“He’s a great guy, a great teammate and so likable.â€
One adjustment Wainwright will have to make this year is that he often will be the sole analyst because three-man booths are rare in the regular season. He also worked with the same announcers and key production people in his three playoff series, but that won’t be the case all this season.
“We still want comfort because he’s still new to this,†Boyd said. “... So it’s not like we want to throw him into the deep end. We want him to get comfortable. He’s going to have to get used to being the baseball expert in the booth. With him and A.J., they could bounce things off each other, talking about strategy. ... The next step is we’re going to have him do a game for himself.â€
Wainwright had a simple summation of his move from the field to the booth.
“At the end of the day, it’s watching baseball,†he said. “There’s nothing else I’d rather watch on TV than a really good baseball game. So that’s something I’m really looking forward to. I like traveling. I like on a limited basis going to new spots and calling new teams, game planning — just like I was pitching — for new hitters.
“I definitely know I love doing it, and we’ll see if there is an opportunity (for a more prominent role) later.â€
How good can Wainwright become if he really wants to eventually strive for a major role?
“I think the sky’s the limit for him,†Boyd said. “And if he wants to do morem we’re always happy to have him do more.â€