Fox has had "preliminary discussions" about broadcaster Joe Buck doing play-by-play for a handful of MLB Cardinals games on FS Midwest in a "looser fashion than ever has been done for any big-league regular season telecast," according to Dan Caesar of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Possible roles for Buck include "chatting with players while the game is in progress -- perhaps someone on the bench or in the on-deck circle -- talking to a relief pitcher who wouldn’t play until later in the game, having a microphone on a fielder or other such innovations beyond even what might take place for an All-Star Game." Buck said, "The idea would be to try some fun stuff within a Cardinals game that hasn’t been tried before. ... I think it could be cool. It would kind of loosen the reigns a little, make the broadcasts a little more compelling." Caesar notes the idea first was "broached by Mike Helling, longtime producer of FSM Cards telecasts." FS Midwest Senior VP & GM Jack Donovan "likes the idea of getting Buck ... back on the local airwaves." Buck "firmly emphasizes that he doesn’t want to intrude on existing Dan McLaughlin and Rick Horton, who do play-by-play for FSM, as well as analyst Al Hrabosky." And if the idea "comes to fruition it would be for only a few games." The experiment could be "test ground that could lead to it being expanded to national Fox games if it works, but there are many hurdles to leap" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/22).
