1. We love a good summertime baseball story on The Starting Lineup, and this morning we caught up with a familiar face who practically grew up at the ballpark right here in Springfield. Max Gifford, one of the premier play-by-play voices for the Biloxi Shuckers (the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers), joined us to share his incredible journey from a local kid running around Hammons Field to calling games in the historic Southern League.

Growing Up in the Shadow of the Cardinals Way

As the son of long-time Springfield Cardinals General Manager Matt Gifford, Max spent his childhood immersed in Ozarks baseball culture. We reminisced about his early days at Hammons Field, where he watched legendary local broadcasts featuring our very own Ned Reynolds and spent time in the booth with major league announcers like Jeff Levering. Max shared how those early experiences instilled a lifelong passion for the game, teaching him that waking up every single morning to go to a ballpark is one of the coolest opportunities in the world.

Springfield Roots to Syracuse Cold

While Max went to Pershing Middle School within Springfield Public Schools and was on track to attend Glendale High School, a family move took him to St. Louis when his father Matt accepted the role of Director of Operations at Busch Stadium. Max eventually landed at the prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse University. He walked us through the intense, highly competitive environment of upstate New York, explaining how his professors and peers pushed him to earn the real-world reps required to make it in the professional play-by-play industry.

Riding High with the Biloxi Shuckers

Now down in Biloxi, Max is enjoying an absolute electric season as the Shuckers clinched the first-half Southern League South Division Championship. He broke down what he and his broadcast partner call the “Death Lineup,” featuring elite prospects like Jesus Made, Andrew Fisher, and Blake Burke. Before we let him go, we even squeezed out a classic memory from the Springfield Cardinals’ historic 2012 Texas League Championship, where a young Max was doused in non-alcoholic champagne by Mike Shilt in the clubhouse.