City SC soccer announcer Zanaboni hopes calling baseball in Dubai sparks Cardinals' interest
Joey Zanaboni grew up in St. Louis, honing his broadcasting skills as a kid by describing his brother's games to his sisters while sometimes impersonating prominent-at-the-time local sportscaster Ken Wilson.
He turned those childhood calls into a professional career, as Zanaboni is City SC's radio play-by-play broadcaster to head his varied and extensive résumé. Now in a way he's following Wilson's lead again.
Wilson spent last winter Down Under, where he broadcast home games of the Brisbane Bandits of the Australian Baseball League. Zanaboni, with City SC's Major League Soccer season now over, is in the United Arab Emirates this week to call games in the Arab Classic baseball tournament.
It should be a fun assignment for Zanaboni, who has broadcast a considerable number of minor-league baseball games on his trek up the career ladder. He hopes he isn't done ascending those steps, as he hasn't climbed high enough yet to not need a side gig. He had been teaching literature and English at Holy Cross Academy, a Catholic middle school in Webster Groves, but has reduced his role in education to being a substitute instructor in English and math at multiple schools around the area. That move gives him more time to devote to his quest to reach his sportscasting goals.
"For so many years, baseball was my 'main' sport," Zanaboni said. "I am living my dream in soccer as the announcer for City, and I don't make any secret that I am St. Louis through and through. I want to represent St. Louis on the radio in baseball as well."
He has an excitable, over-the-top showmanship style punctuated by attention-grabbing and one liners referencing anything from current events to pop culture to the arcane. To wit:
Once after a City goal: "Joao Klauss cramming things home like a hoarder family in a second-hand RV!!!"
And: "Sealed it like he used to be married to Heidi Klum!" he shouted after City goalkeeper Roman Burki made a big save (singer Seal once was married to supermodel Klum).
While it works for him in his broadcast ventures, which have included Ambush soccer as well as college baseball and basketball, how his boisterous delivery would translate to a traditionally much more staid Major League Baseball booth would be open for debate. But he's ready for that conversation to begin.
"One dream I've always had is to work with the Cardinals," he said. "A spring training game, a little fill-in work. As fans of my baseball stuff know and as City fans know, it'd be electricity. That's a guarantee. There's so many fans, especially young ones, who come up to me when I'm at Busch Stadium watching a game to tell me they listen on Y98 (KYKY, 98.1 FM) and AppleTV. I know I can help a ballclub. So I hope the Birds on the Bat will be tuning in as well."
The tourney he's calling this week is being conducted in Dubai and is comprised of teams representing nine countries — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Palestine, and the UAE — and is being played in a new stadium.
This is the second consecutive year Zanaboni has been to Dubai to broadcast a baseball event, both conducted by Baseball United — a company promoting growth of the sport in the Middle East and India.
"In 2023, after joining City, I was focused on soccer and building our broadcast on Y98," Zanaboni said. "When Baseball United came calling, it was a somewhat unexpected surprise. Last year's showcase gave me an opportunity to stay involved on the baseball side in a big way. Our broadcast was carried in 127 countries and was on MLB.TV . I'm fortunate for the experience as a broadcaster and as a person."
He says this year's event is bigger.
"It is the largest, most competitive international baseball event ever in the Middle East and South Asia," Zanaboni said. "I'm honored to be a part of it.
"One of the coolest parts about Baseball United is getting to see young players from countries where baseball is on the rise. Seeing some special young talents from around the globe is one of the major appeals of this job. Plus, Barry Larkin, Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus (former big leaguers who made appearances on the broadcast last year) have announced they will be in the house for the Arab Classic."
The four-day event began Thursday and concludes Sunday, with Zanaboni scheduled to call multiple games each day that will be streamed on the website.
His remaining schedule, with St. Louis times:
Palestine vs Sri Lanka
Pakistan vs India
Saudi Arabia vs Palestine
India vs Bangladesh
Semifinal game
Semifinal game
Championship game
