TV, radio and digital broadcast coverage of Cardinals spring training games is on tap

Starting Saturday, the Cardinals are set to embark on their marathon run of playing games on 33 consecutive weekends, the first five being spring training contests.

And this year’s Grapefruit League broadcast schedule calls for some form of coverage of all their exhibition games except one — the finale, on March 23 (a Monday) when the Cards play the Orioles.

Bally Sports Midwest again has 15 spring telecasts, as Chip Caray gets settled in as BSM’s Cards play-by-play announcer. He replaces Dan McLaughlin, who was in that role for 24 seasons but is out following an offseason driving while intoxicated arrest to which he since has pleaded guilty. McLaughlin said this week on his scoopswithdannymac website, in a conversation with Martin Kilcoyne, that he hopes to return to broadcasting and now also is pursuing a master’s degree in marketing.

The Cardinals’ television package begins with the team’s first two practice games — Saturday against Washington and Sunday against Miami, both at 12:05 p.m. (St. Louis time). Caray will work with analyst Brad Thompson for both.

KMOX (1120 AM) remains the flagship station of the team’s radio network and also carries 15 spring games, beginning with the two this weekend. John Rooney, Ricky Horton and Mike Claiborne again form that broadcast team.

Ten more contests will be audio-streamed on Cardinals.com, with newcomer Matt Pauley entering a rotation with veterans Tom Ackerman and Claiborne. (These games are listed as “web” in the accompanying chart.) Pauley joined the KMOX staff last summer and also became the lead host of pre- and postgame shows on the team’s radio network. He has a decade of experience broadcasting minor-league baseball.

In addition, ESPN televises one game. Plus the MLB app has three others that will use the Cardinals’ opponent’s feed. And audio only of the opponent’s coverage of the March 7 contest is set to be on the MLB app.

Saturday’s game will be the first spring training game broadcast by the team’s Spanish outlet. Polo Ascencio and Bengie Molina have that call on WIJR (880 AM).