(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The son, grandson, and now father of baseball broadcasters makes no secret of it: “The dreaded N-word, we get the nepotism thing all the time,” says Chip Caray, “and that’s part of it, and it’s really no different if a lawyer has a practice, and his son or his daughter takes that over. You are not doing your job as a parent if you are not trying to help your kid, but broadcasting is the great equalizer. When that light goes on, you can either do it, or you can’t, no matter what your name is.”

Caray’s career has brought him back to his hometown, where he enters his fourth season as the main television announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals. He spoke to the WTAX Morning Newswatch to promote Saturday’s Cardinal Caravan visit to UIS, coinciding with the women’s / men’s basketball doubleheader.

As for the 2026 prospects, “There’s been plenty of change already with Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras being traded,” said Caray. I would imagine that there is more of that kind of activity to come. I think this is a transition year for the Cardinals. They are entering a rebuild. There is no other way to say it. They need to. Their farm system was bereft of major-league-ready talent for the most part, but that’s not the case now. I think they’ve got some kids in the next year, year-and-a-half who are going to be knocking at the door of the major leagues. Look, the Cardinals are the franchise that invented the farm system. That is the way they are going to have to be successful.”

Cardinals games air on WTAX. The regular season begins Thursday, March 26.