JUPITER, Fla. -- Having spent his career analyzing the game from his position in center field, eight-time Gold Glove winner Jim Edmonds is now poised to offer his insight from a new perch, as a member of the FOX Sports Midwest broadcast team.
After three seasons of working as an analyst for the FOX Sports Midwest pregame and postgame shows, Edmonds is moving to the broadcast booth, where he'll work alongside play-by-play announcer Dan McLaughlin for 30 regular-season games.
"I'm excited because it's something different. It's a challenge," said Edmonds, who is serving as a guest instructor for the Cardinals at Spring Training. "I have to figure out how to approach it. I'm just going to try to do the best I can. I'm going to try to bring a different take."
The addition of Edmonds is part of a shuffle designed to help the Cardinals' Radio Network fill its analyst spot on the road now that Mike Shannon will be broadcasting only home games. Rick Horton will take Shannon's place alongside radio play-by-play man John Rooney on the road, leaving him with a smaller slate of TV games overall.
Al Hrabosky and Tim McCarver will also rotate in as analysts alongside McLaughlin throughout the season. Edmonds will maintain his in-studio presence as well, as FOX Sports Midwest has him lined up to serve as the pregame and postgame analyst for approximately 20 other games.
Edmonds, who admits that he never envisioned a post-playing career as a broadcaster, did work as a game analyst once last season, when FOX Sports Midwest stationed him just beyond center field. Offering insight from that spot, he complemented the two-man broadcasting team calling the game.
"Having played the game at an All-Star level, and at a different position from our other broadcasters, he delivers unique insights," said Jack Donovan, FOX Sports Midwest senior vice president and general manager. "We're excited to add him to our lineup in the booth."
Edmonds is slated to get some practice this spring by calling five Grapefruit League games for FOX Sports Midwest; he'll be in the booth for the first time on March 9. He is also preparing for the new role by reaching out to various broadcasters for advice. Joe Buck is among those Edmonds has already talked to about the craft of calling game action.
"Hopefully, I'm not just a one-dimensional person that has an expertise in one field," Edmonds said. "I know a little bit about every position on the field. I played all three outfield positions. I played first base. I was in a lot of pitchers' meetings and catchers' meetings over the years. And I was a hitter. I think that will help me. I have a lot of knowledge about what's going on. And I'm still learning. I have always paid attention to every aspect of the game."