Tim McCarver, a two-time World Series champion and famed MLB broadcaster, died Thursday at the age of 81 due to heart failure.
McCarver started his big league career as a catcher with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 and retired with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980. He earned two All-Star selections and a pair of World Series titles with the Cardinals in 1964 and 1967. Along with the Cardinals and Phillies, McCarver’s playing career also featured stints with the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox.
He made the immediate jump from behind the plate to the broadcast booth. He was an analyst and play-by-play commentator for four decades starting in 1980, becoming the voice for the Phillies, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. He wound up calling a then-record 23 World Series to go along with 20 All-Star Games and was awarded the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award in 2012 for his work as a broadcaster.
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“Tim McCarver was an All-Star, a World Series champion, a respected teammate and one of the most influential voices our game has known," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “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.
“All of us at Major League Baseball are grateful for Tim’s impact on sports broadcasting and his distinguished career in our National Pastime. I extend my deepest condolences to Tim’s family, friends and the generations of fans who learned about our great game from him.”
“The Phillies are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tim McCarver and extend our most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, former teammates and colleagues,” Phillies owner John Middleton said in a statement. “Tim joined the Phillies at the height of his career and returned for his final six seasons as a veteran leader, helping the club to three straight NLCS appearances and, ultimately, their first ever World Series title. Following his playing career, fans throughout the world, including here in Philadelphia, listened to him describe their favorite team’s most iconic moments with professionalism and class. For Tim’s leadership, friendship and voice, the Phillies are forever grateful.”
McCarver leaves behind his wife, Anne McDaniel, and daughters, Kathy and Kelly.