Hummel expressed an interest in sports journalism and broadcasting at an early age, having auditioned for a job at Quincy station WGEM when he was twelve years old.

[1] Hummel worked as a spotter for former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and coach Elvin Tappe and his twin brother Melvin as they broadcast Quincy High School games.

Broeg, who himself would earn the Spink award and be inducted into Cooperstown in 1979, at first assigned Hummel to cover secondary and St. Louis regional teams for the newspaper.

[5] Hummel earned his nickname "The Commish" or "The Commissioner" for running an APBA board game with colleagues[6] and for his exhaustive knowledge of the rules involved in the softball, football, and bowling leagues he and Post-Dispatch teammates participated in.

[4][5] The first of Hummel's big breaks at the Post-Dispatch came in 1973 when he covered around eight St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) home games for the newspaper, his first being a 1–0 rain-shortened victory over the Montreal Expos.

Hummel was sent in his place and ended up covering a historic game as Hall of Famer Tom Seaver pitched his only career no-hitter in a 4–0 victory for the Reds.