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JUPITER, Fla. — Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray lobbed a compelling question into the conversation he and other members of the media had this past week with Tony Clark, chief executive of the Major League Baseball Players' Association.
Caray, a longtime presence on baseball broadcasts and third-generation Caray in that role, wondered what it would look like if Major League Baseball ditched geographic divisions and reimagined itself along economic lines. The divisions would be organized by market size, not region. Tampa Bay would be free from competing against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for a division playoff spot. The Colorado Rockies wouldn't have to keep pace with the wallets in the National League West, if they were in the Plaines Division with Kansas City.
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It's one way to open up more spots in the postseason for markets that are increasingly seeing those routes erased.
Expansion is going to make such tinkering possible.
Intrigued, Best Podcast in Baseball host and ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ baseball writer Derrick Goold asked Caray to expand on his question in this brand new episode -- and much much much more.
This is the 80th year of a Caray calling baseball, and that puts their family up there with some of the longest tenured in the history of the game in any role, any level, or any capacity. And there is a fourth generation on the way. FanDuel ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Network picked up the Cardinals' Spring Breakout game on March 14 for prospects, but the prospects won't only be on the field. Chip's son, Stefan, will join him in the booth to call the game and offer thoughts on many of the players he's seen before from calling minor-league games.
Prospects for the future of baseball, prospects for the future of playing baseball, and prospects for the future of calling baseball -- all in one 30 minute conversation under the son at the Cardinals player development complex in Jupiter.
The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, , and Derrick Goold.
As next CBA negotiations loom in 2026, Tony Clark says the union is concerned by trends but mentioned proposals made to spur small-, mid-market spending.Â
Phil Maton, a St. Louis-area kid and veteran late-inning reliever, signed a one-year deal with the team Thursday and was in the clubhouse before the team made the official announcement.
Maton, a Cardinals fan growing up, had been targeted by the team before, though in a different time, when they aimed to contend. So why now?
On Tuesday against Miami, Lars Nootbaar batted leadoff for the first time this spring — something he did not do once in 2024.Â
Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold gives columnist Jeff Gordon three positives and three negatives from the spring training to date.
