Wednesday, March 12

JUPITER, Fla. -- Well-versed in baseball and broadcasting's histories in St. Louis with deep tries to both, Chip Caray is familiar with the legend of Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck, walking out of the booth and leaving his then 17-year-old son, Joe, all alone to sink or swim with play-by-play duties over the KMOX airwaves in 1986.

With Caray set to broadcast Friday’s MLB Spring Breakout game between the Cardinals and Marlins alongside his son, Stefan, the Cardinals full-time play-by-play man was asked if he might pull a Buck and similarly walk out of the booth so his 25-year-old son can prove his mettle as a broadcaster.

“Do I still get paid?” Caray asked playfully, flashing the quick wit and humor that has made him a big hit with fans since he moved back to his native St. Louis.

Stefan, who leans into the comedic side of the broadcasting gig more than twin brother Chris -- a rising star as a broadcaster for the Athletics -- showed off his chops as a quick-witted play-by-play man by responding to his dad’s joke.

“Well, dad’s not as good as Jack Buck, so he hasn’t earned that right,” Stefan cracked back at his pops.

Speaking of the legendary Buck family, Buck was one of the mentors Stefan turned to for advice about the profession. The tie-in was natural, considering that Stefan’s great-grandfather and Caray's grandfather, Harry Caray, teamed with Buck from 1954-59 and 1961-69 to form one of baseball's most powerhouse broadcasting duos. Chip followed Harry and his father, Skip, into the broadcasting business, as did Joe with Jack, starting with the Cardinals and later becoming a national voice in baseball and football.
 
Now, another generation of Carays are behind the mic and working in the family business. Chris is 17 minutes older than twin brother Stefan and the two have been mostly inseparable until recent years. Drawing inspiration from their father, Stefan and Chris worked together to broadcast Cape Cod League Baseball in 2021, the Double-A Amarillo (Texas) Sod Poodles in 2022 and the Arizona Fall League in 2023. Chris got his big break with NBC Sports California in 2024, where he is a play-by-play announcer in the rotation for A’s games.
 
Now, much like the players competing in the Spring Breakout game on Friday, Stefan hopes to use the day to earn his big MLB break. Chip, who insists that he never pushed his children toward broadcasting, marvels at the different talents of his two sons behind the microphone.

“They love the game, they know the game, they’re excellent communicators, they love to tell stories, and they like to have fun,” Chip said. “Chris is a little more analytical, and Stefan is more comedic. I keep saying, ‘They got the best of mom and the worst of dad and somehow they’ve still accomplished a lot.’”
 
Stefan features many of the same qualities as his father in that he’s tall, has gelled black hair and is quick with a smile and a story. While thanking FanDuel Sports Midwest for the opportunity, Stefan hopes his passion for the profession comes through in a broadcast that’s distinctly his own. He’s spent the past week leading up to the broadcast in Jupiter, working to reconnect with the players he’s familiar with (Thomas Saggese, Tekoah Roby and Andre Granillo) and getting to know the others he is less familiar with before Friday’s game.
 
During the broadcast, Stefan and his father plan to take turns being the play-by-play broadcaster and analyst -- much the way Chip and Buck did last July in their one-off broadcast that brought a Buck and a Caray together to call a Cardinal game for the first time since 1969.
 
“The research is starting, but the main concern is whether there will be too much hair gel in that booth with both of us there,” Stefan joked.

Stefan said he is sure that at some point, he will glance over at his dad during the broadcast, and the magnitude of the moment will hit him hard. Though he’ll do his best to suppress his emotions, he will also be beaming with pride.
 
“It’ll be cool, not just for my own purposes, but also to see my dad being validated not only as a tremendous broadcaster but also a tremendous father,” Stefan said. “He’s helped to raise us to be the best that we can be, and he’s inspired us.
 
“But for this game, it’s going to be all I can do to keep it together and make it as great of a broadcast as I can.”   

As happy as Cardinals’ catcher Iván Herrera was about hitting his first home run of Spring Training last Friday night, he showed even more joy when fellow countryman Leonardo Bernal cracked his first MLB spring homer later in the game.
 
Herrera, 24, and Bernal, 21, hail from Panama City, Panama; their profiles are growing within the Cardinals organization. Herrera, the Cardinals' Minor League Player of the Year in 2023, is the favorite to win the starting catching role because of his high ceiling as a hitter who can drive the ball for homers and extra-base hits.

Meanwhile, according to MLB Pipeline, Bernal is the No.7-ranked prospect in the Cardinals' system. Over 110 games with Single-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield last season, the 6-foot, 245-pound Bernal hit .262 with 11 homers, 18 doubles and two triples. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak recently admitted that part of the reason the club moved Willson Contreras from catcher to first base was not only because they have Herrera and Pedro Pagés ready at the MLB level but also because Jimmy Crooks (No. 4 in the Cards system, per MLB Pipeline) and Bernal are progressing quickly through the Minor Leagues.
 
“I got sentimental about it. To see this guy from Panama -- a guy that really cares about me, and I really care about him,” Herrera said. “We support each other. It’s just a cool moment to see.”  

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