It’s time for a rant, so here goes. I deplore the archaic broadcast contracts that MLB teams have set up with TV stations. I’m a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, but I’m also a proud graduate of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. That means that satellite and cable programming don’t make it into my budget. I remember when the Cardinals were available on the local FOX affiliate every couple of Saturdays (FOX would rotate through several teams every week). There was even a time they were also available on a local station on Sundays through a partnership with a St. Louis TV station, but that broadcast seemed to be plagued with technical issues.

That was then; this is now. For the past several years, baseball has only been available to watch through FOX Sports Midwest for the Cardinals and Reds, or WGN for the Cubs (which, by the way, is how my grandmother became a casual Cubs fan in the heart of St. Louis). I have the option to purchase MLB TV for a reasonable amount and watch any out-of-market team playing an out-of-market game. Thanks to this deal, I could watch the Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Royals, Yankees, Rays, or any of the other teams. But any time one of those teams plays the Cardinals, it is blacked out due to broadcast restrictions.

Also, due to complex broadcast contracts, the Cardinals are shown on MLB, ESPN (and their numbered stations), and FOX Sports Midwest. In fairness, FOX Sports has finally entered the 21st Century with an option to watch baseball on digital devices (but only to those who have a cable/satellite package that includes their Midwest station). Postseason games are now relegated completely to cable/satellite channels as well. So for me to watch the Cardinals, the cost would quickly balloon to $100 per month from April through October (because that’s a very active month for the Cardinals, statistically-speaking). And, yes, I know that there are free online ways to watch baseball, but the legality of doing such is questionable at best.

So here’s the point… Because I often tuned into the Saturday games when they were on TV, spring Saturdays have come to mean it’s time for baseball. It’s as ubiquitous as bratwurst and nachos at the ballpark; Saturdays are for baseball. I must say that since ESPN 105.3 FM has picked up Cardinals, my anxiety about finding a way to watch baseball has dropped. The lovely thing about FM radio (this amazing, vintage technology) is that I can effortlessly move from house to garage to vehicle all while listening to the same stream, without using data – and without any potential of buffering. It’s even available as a free app on most smartphones, and your headphones become your antenna.

So if you are a Saturday listener, let me catch you up on the week. The Nationals (suddenly hot this season) swept the Cards last weekend. Cards won 3 of 4 from the over-.500 Phillies. However the Redbirds lost yesterday’s game, the first of a 3-game series, to the Pirates, 4-2. St. Louis is 3rd in the NL Central with a .500 record, as they continue to battle the successful Pirates then travel to Anaheim to play Pujols and the Angels. Meanwhile, watch the clips from Thursday's game below. The bats and the fielding came together in force!

Watch Brandon Moss’ rocket home run:

Stephen Piscotty made an amazing diving catch in Right Field:

To wrap things up, Matt Adams was added to the disabled list on Thursday with a left knee contusion. Mitchell Harris is set to return any day, and he has been cleared to begin throwing again. Brayan Pena, Jhonny Peralta, and Tommy Pham are also set to return to the field in May. Jordan Walden is still an unknown about when he will return. And Marco Gonzales and Lance Lynn both underwent Tommy John surgery and will be out for the season.

Tune into 105.3 FM today at 12:20 PM for a pre-game show. After the Redbird game, you can catch a Red Socks v. Yankees game beginning at 6:00 PM today as well. Here's to a healthy team. Here's to Saturday. And here's to baseball! Go Cards!

Upcoming Games

DateTimeOpponentProbable Pitcher
Saturday, May 71:15 PMVs. Pittsburgh PiratesAdam Wainwright
Sunday, May 81:15 PMVs. Pittsburgh PiratesMichael Wacha
Tuesday, May 1012:45 PM@ Los Angeles AngelsMike Leake
Wednesday, May 119:40 PM@ Los Angeles AngelsJaime Garcia
Thursday, May 127:40 PM@ Los Angeles AngelsTBD

Game times and pitchers are subject to change. Go to stlcardinals.com for the most up-to-date schedule and information.

NL Central Standings

TeamWinsLossesPercentageGames Back
Chicago Cubs226.7860
Pittsburgh Pirates1613.5526.5
St. Louis Cardinals1515.5008.0
Cincinnati Reds1317.43310.0
Milwaukee Brewers1118.37911.5

105.3 WJLT ESPN Evansville only airs games via radio broadcast. Online listening can be found at mlb.com. 

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