St. Louis Cardinals play-by-play announcer Dan McLaughlin steps down following third DWI arrest

Longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin will not return to the broadcast booth following his arrest this month on a driving while intoxicated charge.

Bally Sports Midwest and McLaughlin issued statements Thursday announcing he was stepping away after more than two decades calling Cardinals games. He has also worked NFL games for Fox.

McLaughlin was charged December 5 as a persistent offender of driving while intoxicated after his arrest the previous day in the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur.

Longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin will not return to the broadcast booth following his arrest this month on a driving while intoxicated charge

McLaughlin had pleaded guilty to DWI charges in 2010 and 2011. He was sentenced to two years of probation in 2010 and a suspended 90-day sentence in 2011.

McLaughlin said in a statement that he intended to focus on his family and his recovery, which he has started.

He is scheduled to appear in court on February 7.

McLaughlin did get some words of encouragement from friends and fans after the announcement.

‘Dan McLaughlin is a very good friend,’ tweeted Martin Kilcoyne, the Sports Director for the Fox affiliate in St. Louis. ‘Still great things ahead for him. He’s too talented for that to not be true. He’s made mistakes. He knows that. He’s paying the price. Dan has a big heart. Reached out when my family suffered a tragic loss. I’m rooting for him.’

One fan tweeted: ‘Please just pray for him and his family. It’s a brutal disease. And yes, it’s a DISEASE and mental health issue. By the grace of God I am 8 months sober, but I too took a deep fall before I surrendered.’

McLaughlin did get some words of encouragement from friends and fans after the announcement