Tim McCarver, a former All-Star catcher and a longtime World Series announcer, passed away at the age of 81.
McCarver played for the Cardinals, Phillies, Expos, and Red Sox over the course of 21 MLB seasons. He played on the 1964 and 1967 Cardinals World Series teams and was selected to the 1966 and 1967 All-Star games.
In 1,909 regular-season games over the course of his career, McCarver hit.271 with 97 home runs and 645 RBIs. WAR (wins above replacement) throughout his entire career was 28.3.
He then rose to prominence as one of baseball’s most recognisable broadcasters, calling 24 World Series for ABC, CBS, and Fox while working as a colour analyst for the Phillies, Mets, Yankees, Giants, and Cardinals.
“I think there is a natural bridge from being a catcher to talking about the view of the game and the view of the other players,” McCarver said in 2012 after he received the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. “It is translating that for the viewers.”
Joe Buck, McCarver’s broadcast partner on Fox for 18 years, gave him a heartfelt sendoff after McCarver’s final World Series call in 2013.
We mourn the passing of Tim McCarver, an All-Star catcher and decorated baseball broadcaster for generations of fans. He was 81. https://t.co/af8eb0Yyuf pic.twitter.com/6P9LLlDMJD
— MLB (@MLB) February 16, 2023
“As we say goodbye, I speak on behalf of Major League Baseball – and I know everybody at Fox – when I say thank you for the credibility you bring us night after night in October,” Buck said. “Personally, I’ll tell you that as a kid in our first World Series in 1996, scared to death, scared out of my wits, fearful of being found out as some fraud, as some broadcaster’s kid getting to do it, I looked to my right and knew that I was covered. Because of you. Just as my dad knew. You’re the best to ever do this in this sport and it has been an honor and a privilege.”
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement about McCarver’s legacy.
“Tim McCarver was an All-Star, a World Series Champion, a respected teammate, and one of the most influential voices our game has known,” Manfred said. “As a player, Tim was a key part of great Cardinals and Phillies teams in his 21-year career. In the booth, his analysis and attention to detail brought fans closer to our game and how it is played and managed. Tim’s approach enhanced the fan experience on our biggest stages and on the broadcasts of the Mets, the Yankees and the Cardinals.”
