You’re sitting on the back porch, the sun is dipping below the tree line, and there’s a distinct crackle coming from a speaker. It’s not a podcast. It’s not a Spotify playlist. It’s the sound of summer in the Midwest. Honestly, if you grew up within 500 miles of St. Louis, that sound—the hum of the crowd, the specific cadence of the play-by-play—is basically part of your DNA. Listening to the stl cardinals on radio isn't just about catching the score; it's a ritual that has survived everything from the invention of the internet to the total collapse of regional sports networks.
KMOX 1120 AM is the "Voice of St. Louis," and it has been for a long time. Since 1925, actually. But 2026 feels a bit different. The landscape of how we watch the Birds is shifting under our feet—with the TV side of things in a state of flux—yet the radio side remains the one constant we can actually rely on.
Finding the Cardinals Radio Network in 2026
If you’re in the city, you just dial in 1120 AM and you're good. It’s a clear-channel station. That means back in the day, people used to claim they could hear games as far away as the Rocky Mountains or even out in the Atlantic Ocean on a clear night. Maybe that's a bit of local legend, but the reach is still massive.
For everyone else scattered across the "eight-state" footprint, the Cardinals Radio Network is actually the second-largest in Major League Baseball. We’re talking about 146 different stations. Whether you're driving through a cornfield in central Illinois or stuck in traffic in Memphis, you’ve probably got a signal.
The Major Affiliates (And Where to Tune In)
People always ask which station to hit when they leave the 1120 AM radius. Here’s the reality: it depends on which direction you’re heading.
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- Missouri: You’ve got stations like KTGR (100.5 FM) in Columbia or KXUS (97.3 FM) in Springfield.
- Illinois: This is heavy territory. WJBC (1230 AM) in Bloomington and WTAX (1240 AM) in Springfield are usually the go-to spots.
- Arkansas & Tennessee: If you're in Memphis, WMFS (680 AM/92.9 FM) carries the torch.
It’s worth noting that if you’re trying to use a standard "radio app" on your phone to stream KMOX, you might run into a wall. MLB is very protective of their digital rights. Usually, if you try to stream the live game through a generic radio player, it’ll cut to a talk show or a "game unavailable" loop the second the first pitch is thrown. To get the stl cardinals on radio through your phone, you basically have to go through the MLB At Bat app or have a SiriusXM subscription.
The Voices in the Booth: John Rooney and the Crew
Let’s talk about John Rooney. The guy is a legend. 2026 marks his 21st season with the Cardinals, and he’s recently been a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award—which is essentially the Hall of Fame for broadcasters. If you’ve heard him call a home run, you know why. It’s not just the excitement; it’s the timing. He lets the crowd noise breathe.
Then you’ve got Ricky Horton. "Ricky" is the perfect foil. As a former pitcher, he sees things the rest of us miss. He’ll tell you why a slider hung or why the catcher is setting up three inches further outside than usual. They’ve been joined lately by Mike Claiborne, who has been around the St. Louis sports scene forever and brings that "guy at the end of the bar who knows everything" energy.
The chemistry matters. Radio is an intimate medium. You’re spending three to four hours with these guys nearly every single day for six months. If they’re boring, you turn it off. If they’re too "corporate," you lose interest. Rooney and Horton feel like family members you actually like.
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The Legacy of Mike Shannon
You can’t talk about the radio booth without mentioning Mike Shannon. He retired a few years back and passed away in 2023, but his presence is still everywhere. He called games for 50 years. He was the king of the "unintentional comedy" moment and the "cold Budweiser" reference. While the booth has modernized, Rooney still keeps that old-school storytelling vibe alive. It’s a bridge between the era of Jack Buck and whatever comes next.
Why Radio is Actually Better Than TV Right Now
I’ll be honest: watching the Cardinals on TV has become a massive headache. Between the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group and the drama with FanDuel Sports Network (which recently missed payments and left the team's TV future in the air for 2026), fans are tired of "blackout" messages.
Radio doesn't have that problem.
- Zero Blackouts: If you have an actual radio with an antenna, there is no such thing as a blackout.
- Multitasking: You can't really mow the lawn or work in the garage while watching a TV broadcast.
- The "Theater of the Mind": There’s something about a radio announcer describing the shadows creeping across the infield at Busch Stadium that a 4K camera just can't replicate.
Dealing with the Blackout Blues
If you are outside the St. Louis area, you might feel the sting of the MLB blackout rules. These are basically designed to force you to buy a cable package, but since those packages are disappearing, it’s a mess.
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If you're trying to listen to the stl cardinals on radio via the internet, the MLB At Bat app is the most reliable "legal" way. It’s usually about $20-$30 for the whole year. Compared to a $100-a-month cable bill, it’s a steal. You get the KMOX feed, and you can even switch to the Spanish broadcast with Polo Ascencio and Bengie Molina. If you haven't listened to a game in Spanish, you’re missing out on some of the highest energy in sports broadcasting today.
The Technical Side of the Signal
KMOX broadcasts at 50,000 watts. That is the maximum power allowed by the FCC. At night, the signal bounces off the ionosphere—a process called "skywave" propagation. This is why Grandpa used to say he could hear the Cardinals in Florida. While modern interference from cell towers and electronics has weakened this a bit, the 1120 signal is still a beast.
Actionable Tips for the 2026 Season
If you're planning on following the Birds this year, don't rely on the TV schedule. It's too unpredictable. Instead, get your radio game plan ready before Opening Day.
- Check the Affiliate Map: If you’re traveling through Missouri or Illinois, download the PDF of the Cardinals Radio Network affiliates. Save it to your phone. It’s faster than Googling when you lose 5G in a dead zone.
- Buy a Cheap Pocket Radio: Seriously. Get a Sony or Sangean portable radio with good AM reception. When the power goes out or the internet is acting up, you’ll still have the game. Plus, there’s zero lag. If you’re at the stadium, the "live" radio is about 7 seconds ahead of the "digital" stream.
- Use the MLB App for Audio: If you’re a "cord cutter," don’t bother with the video packages if you just want the play-by-play. The audio-only subscription is the best value in baseball.
- Tune in Early: The pre-game show on KMOX usually starts 15-30 minutes before first pitch. It’s where you get the real dirt on injuries and roster moves that doesn't always make it to the national news.
The 2026 season is going to be a wild ride. With the team in a bit of a transition phase on the field, the one thing that won't change is the comfort of hearing a voice say, "Good evening everyone, and welcome to Cardinals baseball." It’s the soundtrack of the summer, and it’s only a dial-turn away.