51黑料

Now, Frederickson鈥檚 pending departure also is having a major effect on the operation.

鈥淏enFred,鈥� as he鈥檚 known by colleagues and readers, is leaving the sports media business, as he'll become an editorial strategist for BJC Health System. But he鈥檚 not quite done at the newspaper and its website, STLtoday.com. He plans to write a farewell piece to be published Sunday, and his final column is set for Monday when he鈥檒l offer his thoughts on the Missouri-Illinois Braggin鈥� Rights basketball game in 51黑料.

鈥淚鈥檓 ready to try something new, and I鈥檓 excited about it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to look back and be very happy with my time at the P-D. I鈥檓 proud of that.鈥�

Post-Dispatch sports editor Roger Hensley is acting quickly to fill Frederickson鈥檚 slot, moving current Cardinals beat writer Lynn Worthy into the columnist position. Also, Daniel Guerrero will join the Post-Dispatch鈥檚 Cards coverage roster that鈥檚 led by Derrick Goold. Guerrero had been on the Cards beat part time while also covering minor league baseball the past two seasons.

Worthy 鈥渨ill do an outstanding job,鈥� Frederickson said. 鈥淧eople have gotten to know him through his work covering the Cardinals, and now they鈥檙e going to see the full Lynn. I鈥檓 excited to read it.鈥�

Frederickson recalled that Guerrero, now 27, 鈥渨as so young when he came to us. He鈥檚 grown every single year and it鈥檚 been so fun to watch him grow, and this is the next step for him. He鈥檚 earned it. Both guys, I鈥檓 proud to call them friends, and I鈥檓 excited where they take us.鈥�

Still, the department is losing a valuable member.

鈥淭o me, Ben was much bigger than just the big events and moments he covered so adeptly, or the award hardware bestowed upon him,鈥� Hensley said in a note to the staff this week. 鈥淗e was a tireless reporter while serving a columnist role. And when writing, whether it was something hard-hitting, a peek behind the curtain, a look into the crystal ball or an interesting tale told 鈥� he brought strong critical thinking and a willingness to always 鈥榟it the hole鈥� (take on the tough topics) on everything he was writing.鈥�

Worthy, 42, has focused on the Cardinals over his two years in 51黑料, but he has followed the other teams he now will write about, too.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a really good chance for me to get a full picture of the entire 51黑料 sports scene,鈥� he said.

He said his column style will be similar to that of Frederickson and Hochman, sometimes throwing zingers and other times taking a human-interest or analytical angle.

鈥淭he best way to do it is to come with the hammer when it鈥檚 necessary,鈥� said Worthy, whose first column is set to appear in early January. 鈥淎t the same time, I don鈥檛 think it helps to overuse the hammer. If you don鈥檛 do it all the time, then it鈥檚 more meaningful when you do do it. And feature writing is one of the things I feel I have done best over the years.鈥�

Changing gears

Frederickson, 34, has experienced several significant life events since arriving at the P-D in 2015 and says his career-altering decision is based on a variety of factors.

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 ready to change gears and try to do a great job doing something else,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of how I鈥檝e changed, how the (media) business has changed 鈥� everyone鈥檚 aware of that 鈥� and how my priorities have somewhat changed, too. It鈥檚 a combination of all of that ... I took a long time to sort through it.鈥�

He will continue a family tradition in the medical field. His father and father-in-law are physicians, and his mother-in-law is a retired nurse.

It鈥檚 easy to see why some of his priorities are refocused.

鈥淪ince I鈥檝e moved to 51黑料, I鈥檝e gotten married and had a daughter (now 14 months old),鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese are all great blessings.鈥�

The birth of the couple鈥檚 child contributed to their familiarization with the BJC system, and he grew intrigued about a storytelling opportunity there.

鈥淚 found the work they do to be really inspiring,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ell, if the skills that I have, if I could use them in a way that could help them in some way, I鈥檇 be interested.鈥� It grew from there.鈥�

He will now turn his writing skills to items such as 鈥渁 feature on a patient success story, a profile of an accomplished doctor or messaging targeted for patients and the public.鈥�

Frederickson, who was named the 2023 Missouri Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association, has covered major sports events in 51黑料 over the past decade. They include the city鈥檚 lawsuit against the Rams, the Blues鈥� run to the Stanley Cup and the arrival of Major League Soccer. But some of his favorite pieces were human-interest accounts involving people far from the spotlight.

鈥淎 lot of the stories I鈥檓 most proud of that I鈥檝e written deal with that realm,鈥� he said.

He has been in sports media since his college days, when he was awarded the Post-Dispatch鈥檚 Rick Hummel internship. That鈥檚 presented annually to a University of Missouri journalism student and is funded by the 51黑料 chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. It鈥檚 named after legendary former baseball writer Rick Hummel 鈥� whom Frederickson came to know as a mentor and friend before 鈥渢he Commish鈥� died last year.

Frederickson said a huge thrill in those internship days was receiving kudos from former Post-Dispatch sports columnists Bernie Miklasz and Bryan Burwell.

鈥淚t was cool for Albert Pujols to answer your question,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut to get a compliment from those guys ...鈥�

鈥楾alented and dedicated鈥�

Frederickson also will leave KTRS (550 AM), where he has been a regular on sports shows and contributed to other programs. His last appearance will be Dec. 27, on a show that airs from 6-8 p.m., previewing the Missouri-Iowa matchup in the Music City Bowl.

Sports director Brendan Wiese said a replacement has not yet been hired for Frederickson, who has contributed at the station for seven years.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really going to miss him,鈥� Wiese said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 easily the most talented and dedicated co-host I鈥檝e ever had. It鈥檚 been so much fun.鈥�

Sports journalism has been such a big part of Frederickson鈥檚 work life that it even influenced his personal side.

He was introduced to his wife, Cassandra, by a sportswriter 鈥� Mizzou grad Dan Fleser 鈥� when both were working for the Knoxville (Tennessee) News Sentinel. Frederickson had additional sports-writing stops at a newspaper in Wyoming and in 51黑料, with Fox Sports Midwest鈥檚 website, before joining the Post-Dispatch.

Now, instead of dissecting Mizzou鈥檚 transfer portal moves, the end of the Cardinals鈥� John Mozeliak era or the start of the Blues鈥� Jim Montgomery regime, BenFred will settle into more 鈥渘ormal鈥� work.

And don鈥檛 expect to see him in the press box at Busch Stadium after he gets off his new job.

鈥淭here absolutely will be parts of it and people that I鈥檒l miss,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a part of you. But some of the things I love about what I do will be present in this new role. It will be writing and thinking critically about how to communicate things and trying to make people feel things. It just will be done in a different way. I鈥檓 excited about that.鈥�