Just 10 more accounts to go! None of the names should surprise you but perhaps the order will. Allons-y!
Number 10: miklasz
Proudly serving STL sports fans as a weekday host (3-6 pm) for 590 KFNS and columnist for ScoopsWithDannyMac.com
On Twitter since: February 2009
Number of Tweets: 42.6K
Following: 1,576
Followers: 141,993
Total points: 1,160
Average: 8.286
Number of ballots: 140
Maximum: 10
Minimum: 1
% that were 10: 33.57%
% that were 1: 1.43%
Ranking history: 10 (2015), 15 (2016), 5 (2017), 16 (2018), 19 (2019), 11 (2020), 14 (2021), 15 (2022)
If you don’t know Bernie, you’ve not been around very long. Miklasz is a legendary name in St. Louis media, having been a columnist for the Post-Dispatch for years before moving out on his own. He’s got his own radio show plus he and Will Leitch do the Seeing Red podcast, but Bernie made his bones as a writer and he’s still putting up at least a column a day (and I think most days two or more) over at Danny Mac’s site. He’s an authoritative voice out there and, unlike many of us, he can get in touch with Bill DeWitt Jr.
Number 9: Ben_Fred
Sports Columnist at St. Louis Post-Dispatch and @stltoday. Radio talker at @KTRS550. Instagram: benfredpd. Living one word to the next, one line at a time.
On Twitter since: January 2009
Number of Tweets: 66.1K
Following: 2,157
Followers: 38,405
Total points: 1,318
Average: 7.753
Number of ballots: 170
Maximum: 10
Minimum: 1
% that were 10: 25.29%
% that were 1: 2.94%
Ranking history: 50 (2016), 17 (2017), 15 (2018), 9 (2019), 9 (2020), 7 (2021), 10 (2022)
From a former Post-Dispatch columnist to a current one. Ben Hochman may have gotten the job when Bernie left but you could argue Ben Fredrickson has more completely filled the shoes. Bringing some snark that former PD columnist Joe Strauss would love were he still with us, Fredrickson will opine on anything St. Louis or Missouri sports. He’s a regular guest on Derrick Goold’s podcast as well, so there’s no shortage of places to find his opinions!
Number 8: TheCatonBallyTV
Bally Sports Midwest. 590 The Fan. My tweets are my own.
On Twitter since: February 2014
Number of Tweets: 22.2K
Following: 336
Followers: 103,362
Total points: 1,324
Average: 8.946
Number of ballots: 148
Maximum: 10
Minimum: 1
% that were 10: 55.41%
% that were 1: 0.68%
Ranking history: 61 (2015), 13 (2018), 12 (2019), 21 (2020), 17 (2021), 11 (2022)
Jim Hayes is a constant delight. His interviews with the various players does a great job of humanizing those guys and helping people see them as more than cogs in a machine. His “feuds” with Matt Holliday and Lance Lynn, among others, are some great regional cable journalism (and I think we all look forward to him and Lynn for another season). If you haven’t subscribed to his YouTube channel to watch some more lengthy interviews, you really should.
Number 7: cardinals
11-time World Series Champions | #STLCards Contest Rules: atmlb.com/2zyo9ce
On Twitter since: July 2009
Number of Tweets: 75.1K
Following: 891
Followers: 1,427,786
Total points: 1,327
Average: 8.294
Number of ballots: 160
Maximum: 10
Minimum: 1
% that were 10: 47.50%
% that were 1: 3.75%
Ranking history: 8 (2015), 6 (2016), 25 (2017), 12 (2018), 11 (2019), 14 (2020), 6 (2021), 7 (2022)
Hard to believe it’s been nine years since the Cardinals were so bad at Twitter I asked them about it. They’ve improved by leaps and bounds since then and now are at least more of an engaging and interactive account. They may not be at the level of some of the very best of MLB but they aren’t turgid at all anymore. Besides, where else are you going to find all the official releases?
Number 6: kyler416
Fancy Printed Words, 280 Letters Long. General Waywardness. Dweller On The Threshold. Odd head. MiLB for @birdsontheblack. Loves animal Twitter. Don’t follow me.
On Twitter since: December 2012
Number of Tweets: 98.3K
Following: 1,176
Followers: 10,979
Total points: 1,327
Average: 9.089
Number of ballots: 146
Maximum: 10
Minimum: 1
% that were 10: 64.38%
% that were 1: 0.68%
Ranking history: 65 (2016), 33 (2017), 5 (2018), 8 (2019), 4 (2020), 4 (2021), 4 (2022)
For a man that is known for taking his shirt off on camera, Kyle really hates attention. He gets so mad at me for continuing to include him on this ballot but what I can I do? Look at the fact that he’s finished in the top 10 the last five years. Look at the fact that he averaged over 9 points per ballot and had a perfect score on almost 65% of them. That’s cardinalsgifs territory, my friends. Kyle is a legend not only for his antics but because of the work he puts in to know the minor league system and the ability he has to share that information in a way that makes sense to anyone, even me. A person who he does not live with.
Five more (well, there’s a little asterisk there) this afternoon and then a summary post to wrap it all up!