James Timothy "Tim" McCarver (born October 16, 1941) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcherCatcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, and a current
sportscasterIn sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
in residence for
Fox SportsFox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
.
Playing career
McCarver was born in
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He began his playing career after being signed by the
St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
from Christian Brothers High School in Memphis in . He hit .359 that year while splitting time between the Cardinals' minor league teams in
KeokukKeokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
and
RochesterRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and, though just 17 years old, was briefly called up to the Cardinals.
He spent the , , and seasons shuttling between St. Louis and the minor leagues in places like
MemphisThe Memphis Chicks were an American minor league baseball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Chicks were charter members of the Southern Association from 1901 until November 18, 1960, when the club folded and was transferred to Macon, Georgia for 1961.The Chicks suffered a...
,
Charleston, West VirginiaThe Charleston Charlies was the name of the third and most recent Class AAA minor league baseball franchise that was located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. The Charlies played in the International League from 1971 to 1976 as the relocated Columbus Jets franchise. In 1977 the franchise...
and
AtlantaThe Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966....
. In , he was called up to the majors for good.
St. Louis Cardinals
In , his tiebreaking home run in the 10th inning won Game 5 of the
World SeriesThe 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
. In , McCarver was named to the
All-Star TeamThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, scored the winning run in the 10th inning of that
1966 All-Star GameEighty-two Major League Baseball All-Star Games have been played since the first one in 1933, with the National League winning 42, and the American League winning 38, with two ties. The National League has the longest winning streak of 11 games from 1972-1982; the American League held a 13-game...
, and became the first catcher to lead the National League in triples, with 13. In , he finished second to teammate
Orlando CepedaOrlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
for the
National League Most Valuable Player awardThe Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
. McCarver was a member of two
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships during his time in St. Louis. He was the favorite catcher of the notoriously temperamental
Bob GibsonRobert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
, and fostered a relationship with young pitcher
Steve CarltonSteven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
that would keep him in the major leagues later in his career. In 1968, he was the Cardinals catcher as the Detroit Tigers made one of the few 1-3 comebacks in World Series history. The St. Louis squad had a 3-0 lead in Game 5 in the first inning up 3 games to 1, before the Tigers came back to win that game and then the last two games.
Later career
After a trade to
PhiladelphiaThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
involving, among others, his teammate
Curt FloodCurtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
(which led to
Flood's dramatic lawsuitFlood v. Kuhn was a 1972 United States Supreme Court decision upholding, by a 5–3 margin, the antitrust exemption first granted to Major League Baseball in Federal Baseball Club v. National League. It arose from a challenge by St. Louis Cardinals' outfielder Curt Flood when he refused to be...
challenging baseball's
reserve clauseThe reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional sports contracts. The reserve clause, contained in all standard player contracts, stated that, upon the contract's expiration the rights to the player were to be retained by the team to which he had been signed...
) before the 1970 season, McCarver played for the Phillies,
ExposThe Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
,
Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, and another brief stint with the Cardinals (he was replaced on the roster by the then-rookie
Keith HernandezKeith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
). McCarver's late playing and broadcasting career might have taken a different turn in , when, according to
Peter GammonsPeter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
, McCarver (then 33 and Boston's third-string catcher) was rumored as a potential
managerialIn baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
replacement for struggling Red Sox skipper
Darrell JohnsonDarrell Dean Johnson was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach, manager and scout.-Playing career:...
. But McCarver was released (to return to the Phillies), and Johnson went on to lead the Red Sox to the '75 AL pennant.
During his first stint with the Phillies, McCarver caught
Rick WiseRichard Charles Wise is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...
's
no-hitterA no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on June 23, . At the end of the season, the Phillies traded Wise to the Cardinals for
Steve CarltonSteven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
, the deal reuniting McCarver with Carlton. During the season, the Phillies traded McCarver to the Montreal Expos where, on October 2, he caught the second of
Bill StonemanWilliam Hambly Stoneman III is a consultant for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. From 1999 to October 15, 2007, he served as the general manager of the Angels...
's two career no-hitters.
On July 4, 1976, McCarver hit what is known as a "
Grand Slam SingleThe Grand Slam Single is a reference to the hit that ended Game 5 of the 1999 National League Championship Series between the New York Mets and one of their biggest rivals, Atlanta Braves...
" when after hitting a game-winning
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
he passed his teammate
Garry Maddox in the basepath. As host of "The Not-so-Great Moments in Sports" special which aired on HBO, he supposedly said to the umpire, "I didn't pass him, he lapped me." Asked later how he could have done that, McCarver replied "sheer speed". The event was honored in "The Baseball Hall of SHAME 3" book as "Tim McCarver's Grand Sob."
McCarver finished his career as the personal catcher for
Steve CarltonSteven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
for the Phillies in the late 1970s. Carlton preferred McCarver to Phillies regular
Bob BooneRobert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and...
. It was quipped that when Carlton and McCarver eventually died, they would be buried 60 feet, 6 inches apart.
He retired after the season to begin a broadcasting career. McCarver briefly returned to duty in September , thus becoming one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to appear in Major League games in four different decades (1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s).
Tim McCarver Stadium
The
minor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
stadiumA modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Memphis was christened
Tim McCarver StadiumTim McCarver Stadium was a stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. It was primarily used for baseball and was the home of the Memphis Blues , the Memphis Chicks , and the Memphis Redbirds ....
in ; it was replaced by a new downtown stadium (named
AutoZone ParkAutoZone Park is a minor league baseball stadium located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee and the home of the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League, the AAA affiliate of the St...
in a
naming rightsIn the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
arrangement) in .
Broadcasting career
As a broadcaster, McCarver has enjoyed prominence as a
color commentatorA color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
on the network level. He has won three
Emmy AwardsThe Sports Emmy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American sports television programming, including sports-related series, live coverage of sporting events, and best sports announcers...
for Sports Event Analyst.
He began his broadcasting career at
WPHL-TVWPHL-TV, channel 17, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by the Tribune Company and currently affiliated with the News Corporation-owned MyNetworkTV television network. This makes it the largest non-O&O station of the network...
(Channel 17) in Philadelphia, where he was paired with
Richie AshburnDon Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska...
and
Harry KalasHarry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
for Phillies games, before co-hosting HBO's
Race for the PennantRace for the Pennant is a weekly sports show that focused on Major League Baseball and premiered on Home Box Office in 1978. It was hosted by Len Berman, Tim McCarver, Barry Tompkins, Bob Gibson, Maury Wills and others....
in and working as a backup
Game of the WeekThe Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
commentator for NBC in .
McCarver has called baseball for all four major U.S. television networks. His work at NBC was followed by stints with ABC (where he teamed with
Don DrysdaleDonald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
on backup
Monday Night BaseballMonday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
games in and
Al MichaelsAlan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
and
Jim PalmerJames Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
from - and again from – under the
"Baseball Network"The Baseball Network was a short-lived television broadcasting joint venture between ABC, NBC, and Major League Baseball. Under the arrangement, beginning in the 1994 season, the league produced its own in-house telecasts of games, which were then brokered to air on ABC and NBC...
umbrella) and CBS (where he teamed with
Jack BuckJohn Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
from – and
Sean McDonoughSean McDonough is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN.-Early life and career:The son of Boston Globe sportswriter Will McDonough, Sean graduated from Syracuse University in 1984. It was in Syracuse where McDonough began his broadcasting career in 1982 as the play-by-play announcer...
from –). McCarver is currently paired with
Joe BuckJoseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
on the
FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network's MLB telecasts, a role he has held since .
When McCarver called his first World Series in for ABC, he was actually a last minute replacement for
Howard CosellHoward William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
. Cosell had been removed from the broadcasts altogether after excerpts from his controversial book,
I Never Played the Game (which was critical of Cosell's co-workers at ABC Sports), appeared in
TV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
. Perhaps, McCarver's most notable assignment for ABC prior to the 1985 World Series, was as a field reporter for the
1984 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
. McCarver's regular season broadcast partner, Don Drysdale, was instead paired with
Reggie JacksonReginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
and
Earl WeaverEarl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
.
Also while at
ABCThe Olympics on ABC was the branding for Olympic Games coverage which aired in the United States on the broadcast network ABC. ABC first televised the Winter Olympic Games in 1964. ABC first televised the Summer Olympic Games in 1968...
, he also served as a correspondent and play-by-play announcer for
Freestyle skiing at the 1988 Winter OlympicsFreestyle skiing was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Winter Olympics. The venues were Canada Olympic Park for aerials and ballet, and Nakiska for moguls. This was the first appearance of freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics.-Placement table:...
in
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. McCarver also co-hosted the prime time coverage of
1992 Winter OlympicsThe 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
with
Paula Zahn for CBS.
He has also called games locally for the Phillies from
1980The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. The team finished with a regular-season record of 91 wins and 71 losses, which was good enough to regain the National League East title by just one game over the Montreal Expos...
to
1982The 1982 season was the 100th season in Philadelphia Phillies franchise history. During the season, Steve Carlton would be the last pitcher to win at least 20 games in one season for the Phillies in the 20th century. He would also become the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards in a career...
,
MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
from
1983The New York Mets' 1983 season was the 22nd regular season for the Mets. They went 68-94 and finished 6th in the National League East. They were managed by George Bamberger and Frank Howard...
to
1998The New York Mets' 1998 season was the 37th regular season for the Mets. They finished the season with a record of 88-74. Despite placing 2nd in the National League East, the Mets fell one game short of playoff contention following a catastrophic collapse during the final week of the season. They...
,
YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
from
1999The New York Yankees' 1999 season was the 97th season for the Bronx based professional baseball team. The team finished with a record of 98-64 finishing 4 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
to
2001The New York Yankees' 2001 season was the 99th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 95-65 finishing 13.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. Roger Clemens had sixteen straight wins, tying an American...
, and
GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in
2002The 2002 San Francisco Giants season was the 120th in franchise history, and the franchise's 45th season in San Francisco. The season ended with the Giants winning the National League pennant but losing to the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series....
. However, McCarver wasn't able to call the World Series wins by the Phillies in , Mets with , and Yankees in (all three wins were broadcast on NBC, but McCarver wasn't part of the broadcasting team any of those times.).
McCarver is the only sportscaster to have covered the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and two of their rivals on a regular basis. He is one of three sportscasters to have covered the Mets and the Yankees (the others being
Fran HealyFrancis Xavier Healy , is a former Major League Baseball catcher best known for his long tenure calling television broadcasts for the New York Mets on the MSG Network and Fox Sports Net New York....
and
Tom SeaverGeorge Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
) and one of three sportscasters to have covered both the Mets and the Phillies. (the others being
Todd KalasTodd Harry Kalas is a television broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is the son of the late longtime Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas.-Early life and career:...
and
Tom McCarthyTom McCarthy is an American sports broadcaster. He is the play-by-play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies television broadcasts...
)
In 2003, McCarver set a record by broadcasting his 13th
World SeriesThe 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
on national television (surpassing
Curt GowdyCurtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
). Also, since (when he served as a field reporter for ABC's
National League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
coverage), McCarver has to date, never missed commentating on the League Championship Series.
McCarver also hosts a nationally syndicated sports interview program, called
The Tim McCarver Show.
Criticism
McCarver has courted criticism throughout his career.
During the
1992 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaA rather uneventful opening to what would prove to be a memorable series, Game 1 was an easy win for the Braves. Atlanta scored four early runs, highlighted by Jeff Blauser's fifth-inning homer, and coasted to...
, he criticized
Deion SandersDeion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
for playing both
footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
on the same day. For his criticism, Sanders dumped a bucket of water on McCarver three times while he was covering the National League pennant winning
Atlanta BravesThe 1992 Atlanta Braves season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Braves finishing first in the National League West with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses, clinching their second straight division title....
' clubhouse celebration for CBS. After receiving the water, McCarver shouted at Sanders, "You are a real man, Deion. I'll say that." Also during the 1992 post-season (when McCarver worked for CBS),
Norman ChadNorman Chad is an American sportswriter and syndicated columnist who is seen on the sports channel ESPN. He also was an occasional guest host on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption and has appeared as both host and movie critic on the ESPN Classic series Reel Classics.He writes a weekly...
criticized McCarver in
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
by saying that he's someone who "when you ask him the time, will tell you how a watch works," a reference to McCarver's habit of over-analyzing.
In Game 4 of the
1997 American League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland...
, on a wild pitch with runners dashing around the bases, when umpire
Durwood MerrillEdwin Durwood Merrill was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League for 23 seasons ....
gestured to where the ball was, McCarver sarcastically commented that "maybe he was trying to tell
himself where the ball is!" Merrill heard about that, took offense to it, and fired back in his autobiography that he was letting the other umpires know that the situation was under control.
When rule questions came up during a broadcast, McCarver misstated a rule. After a
St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
balkIn baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded...
in Game 4 of the
2006 NLCSThe National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
, McCarver explained,
"You have to have 'one thousand one' when coming to a stop, and you have to stop your glove in the same place every time in front of your body," when the rules state that there must be merely a complete discernible stop anywhere in front of the pitcher's body; no certain duration or location is necessary.
McCarver has been known to make verbal gaffes, particularly with player's names (notably confusing
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
with the retired
Luis PujolsLuis Bienvenido Pujols Toribio was a catcher and manager in Major League Baseball. He played nine seasons with the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers. Luis Pujols and St...
, as well as repeatedly referring to
Bronson ArroyoBronson Anthony Arroyo , is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and an aspiring musician. He has previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2000 and 2002 and Boston Red Sox from 2003 to 2005...
as "Brandon Arroyo" during the
2004 World SeriesThe 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
). Recently, in the
2009 World SeriesThe 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
, he referred to
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
shortstop
Derek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
as "Jerek Deter". During Game 6 of the
1996 World Series-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
at Yankee Stadium, a fan behind home plate held up a sign that said
"John 3:16John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible, and has been called the most famous Bible verse...
". McCarver made mention of this sign, saying that the fan was a true Yankees fan because he knew
Tommy JohnThomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history...
's career ERA. John's career ERA is actually 3.34, not 3.16. In 2006,
Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
lampooned McCarver's broadcasting ability with the quip, "...well, at least he couldn't be any worse than Tim McCarver is at sportscasting". To make matters worse, during the
2011 World SeriesThe 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
,
Joe PosnanskiJoe Posnanski is an American journalist and senior columnist for Sports Illustrated and former columnist for the The Kansas City Star. He writes extensively on his personal site, Joe Blogs and his SI blog Curiously Long Posts.-Journalism:Posnanski began his journalism career as a multi-use...
of
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
argued that McCarver was becoming more and more useless as an analyst. McCarver has in general, been accused of overanalyzing situations, being too verbose, and not allowing a game to breathe.
In October 2008, just before the
2008 NLCS-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
, McCarver made public his feelings about
Manny RamirezManuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
, calling him "despicable" and criticizing Ramirez for his perceived sloppy, lazy play in
BostonThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and how he had suddenly turned it around in
Los AngelesThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. Ramirez declined comment.
In 2010, he compared how the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
treated former manager
Joe TorreJoseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
to how
Nazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and
StalinistStalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
treated its generals, a position he was later forced to apologize for.
Memorable moments
McCarver has been on hand for some of baseball's most memorable and exciting moments in the later part of the 20th century and beyond. Noteworthy moments that Tim McCarver was present for while broadcasting include:
- San Diego Padre
-Offseason:* October 21, 1983: Sandy Alomar, Jr. was signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent.* December 6, 1983: Joe Pittman and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the San Francisco Giants for Champ Summers...
Steve GarveySteven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
's game winning home run off Lee SmithLee Arthur Smith is an American right-handed former baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball for eight teams. Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher during his career...
of the Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in Game 4 of the 1984 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
. The Padres, who came back from a 2-0 deficit in the best of five NLCS, went on the win their first ever pennant the following day.
- The sixth game of the 1985 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
between the Kansas City RoyalsThe 1985 Kansas City Royals season ended with the Royals' first world championship win over their intrastate rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals won the Western Division of the American League for the second consecutive season and the sixth time in ten years...
and St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals' 1985 season was the team's 104th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 94th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 101-61 during the season and finished in first place in the National League East division by three games over the New York Mets...
. That particular World Series was most notable for first base umpire Don DenkingerDonald Anton Denkinger is a former Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1969 to 1998. Denkinger wore uniform number 11, when the AL adopted uniform numbers in 1980. He is best remembered for an incorrect call he made at first base in Game 6 of the 1985 World...
's blown callDonald Anton Denkinger is a former Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1969 to 1998. Denkinger wore uniform number 11, when the AL adopted uniform numbers in 1980. He is best remembered for an incorrect call he made at first base in Game 6 of the 1985 World...
in Game 6.
- The 16-inning long, sixth game of the 1986 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1986 at Astrodome in Houston, TexasGame 1 featured a pitching duel between eventual NLCS Most Valuable Player Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden. Scott allowed just five hits and walked one while striking out 14 in a complete-game effort as the host Astros prevailed 1–0...
(for which McCarver called with Keith JacksonKeith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
for ABC) between the New York MetsThe 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98–64 record from 1985 and to try to win the National League East Division. They finished the season with a 108–54 record, cruising to the division title...
and Houston Astros-Regular season:* Kevin Bass had a twenty game hit streak during the season.* Dave Smith set a club record with 33 saves in one season.* September 24, 1986: Jim Deshaies set a record for the most strikeouts to start a game...
.
- The 1987 Minnesota Twins, who went 85-77 in the regular season (they only won 29 games on the road) beating the St. Louis Cardinals
The 1987 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 106th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 96th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and finished first in the National League East Division for the third and last time before moving to the NL Central in 1994....
in seven games (all of them won by the home team) in the World SeriesThe 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...
.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers
The 1988 season was a memorable one for the Dodgers as a squad that was picked to finish fourth wound up winning the World Series, beating the heavily favored New York Mets and Oakland Athletics on the way. Kirk Gibson carried the Dodger offense, winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award...
beating the New York MetsThe New York Mets' 1988 season was the 27th regular season for the Mets. They went 100-60 and finished 1st in the NL East. They were managed by Davey Johnson. They played home games at Shea Stadium.-Offseason:...
, who went 10-1 against the Dodgers in the regular season, in seven games in the 1988 NLCS-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe series opened with a classic pitching matchup, pitting the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, who had won 23 games during the regular season and carried a Major League record 59 consecutive scoreless innings into the game,...
.
- The 1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta BravesIn 1991, the Atlanta Braves became the first team in the National League to go from last place one year to first place the next. This feat was also accomplished by the 1991 Minnesota Twins...
(both went from "worst to first" in a one year span), which is considered by many to be the greatest World Series of all time (all seven games were won by the home team).
- Atlanta Braves
The 1992 Atlanta Braves season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Braves finishing first in the National League West with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses, clinching their second straight division title....
player Francisco Cabrera's game-winning base hit off Pittsburgh PirateThe 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates season saw the Pirates finish first in the National League East with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses. It was the third consecutive division title for the team. The Pirates once again fell short in the postseason, losing a riveting seven-game National League...
Stan BelindaStanley Peter Belinda is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed relief pitcher who batted from the right side, Belinda is 6'3" tall and weighs 187 pounds. He pitched from a three-quarters arm slot and threw both a regular low-90's fastball and a split-fingered fastball...
in the bottom of the ninth of the seventh game of the 1992 NLCS-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaA rather uneventful opening to what would prove to be a memorable series, Game 1 was an easy win for the Braves. Atlanta scored four early runs, highlighted by Jeff Blauser's fifth-inning homer, and coasted to...
.
- Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
's game winning home run off Philadelphia PhillieThe 1993 Philadelphia Phillies season saw the Phillies capture the National League East championship. The Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves in the 1993 National League Championship Series in six games, before losing the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.-Regular season:After finishing in...
Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
that clinched the Toronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays season involved the Blue Jays finishing first in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 67 losses. They were shut out only once in 162 regular-season games. The Blue Jays would repeat as World Champions and become the first back-to-back champions since the New...
second consecutive World TitleThe Commissioner's Trophy is presented each year by the Commissioner of Baseball to the Major League Baseball team that wins the World Series. Recent trophy designs contain flags representing each team in North America's top two leagues, the National League and the American League...
.
- The beginning of the New York Yankees
The 1996 New York Yankees season was the 94th season for the Yankees. The 1996 New York Yankees were managed by Joe Torre, and played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx....
' return to power as they came back from a 2-0 deficit against the defending World Champion Atlanta Braves-Offseason:* January 3, 1996: Jerome Walton was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.* January 9, 1996: Mike Kelly was traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later and Chad Fox...
to win the 1996 World Series-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
(the Yankees' first since 1978).
- Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
hitting his record breaking 62nd regular season home run in .
- David Cone
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
's perfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
for the New York YankeesThe New York Yankees' 1999 season was the 97th season for the Bronx based professional baseball team. The team finished with a record of 98-64 finishing 4 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
against the Montreal Expos-Offseason:Future Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams was taken by the Montreal Expos in the 1998 Rule V Draft. The Expos sold his rights to the Texas Rangers.-Opening Day starters:* Shane Andrews* Miguel Batista* Orlando Cabrera* Brad Fullmer...
on July 18, 1999.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks
The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, in their fourth year of existence, looked to improve on their 2000 season. They had to contend in what was a strong National League West Division....
' come from behind victory against the three time defending World Champion New York YankeesThe New York Yankees' 2001 season was the 99th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 95-65 finishing 13.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. Roger Clemens had sixteen straight wins, tying an American...
in the bottom of the ninth of the 2001 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
. Ironically (and somewhat eerily), McCarver correctly predicted what would be the game-winning hit: an opposite-field bloop single by Arizona's Luis Gonzalez. When Yankees manager Joe TorreJoseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
opted to bring the infield in with the bases loaded and one out, and with closer Mariano RiveraMariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
on the mound, McCarver opined: "The problem with bringing the infield in against a guy like Rivera is that left-handed hitters tend to get a lot of broken-bat hits to...the shallow part of the outfield." Indeed, on the very next pitch, Gonzalez lifted a broken-bat single over the reach of Yankee shortstop Derek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
, scoring the winning run.
- The 2002 Anaheim Angels
The Anaheim Angels 2002 season was the franchise's 42nd, and it ended with the team's first American League pennant and World Series championship....
finally winning the World SeriesThe 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
after defeating the San Francisco GiantsThe 2002 San Francisco Giants season was the 120th in franchise history, and the franchise's 45th season in San Francisco. The season ended with the Giants winning the National League pennant but losing to the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series....
in seven games.
- The 2003 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkBacked by three home runs, Tim Wakefield shut the Bombers down in Game 1.-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York...
between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Game 7 ended with Aaron BooneAaron John Boone is a former Major League Baseball infielder whose famous home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield won the 2003 American League Championship Series for the New York Yankees. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington...
winning the pennant for the Yankees with an extra inning home run.
- The 2003 Florida Marlins
The 2003 Florida Marlins season was a season in American baseball. The Marlins were the National League Wild Card Winners, the National League Champions, and the World Series Champions.-Offseason:...
beating the New York YankeesThe New York Yankees' 2003 season was the 100th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 101-61 finishing 6 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the playoffs, they defeated the Boston Red Sox in 7 games in...
in six games in the World SeriesThe 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
. The Marlins won the World Series for the second time (their first being in 1997-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
) despite making their Major League debut just ten years earlierThe 1993 Florida Marlins season was the inaugural year for the team, part of the 1993 Major League Baseball expansion. Their manager was Rene Lachemann. They played home games at Joe Robbie Stadium...
.
- The 2004 Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record...
avenging their 2003 playoff loss against the New York YankeesThe New York Yankees' 2004 season was the 102nd season for the Yankees. The Yankees opened the season by playing two games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Japan on March 30, 2004. The team finished with a record of 101-61, finishing 3 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. New...
by coming back from a 3-0 series deficit (first time in Major League Baseball, third in American professional sports) to win the pennant. The Red Sox proceeded to finally put the so-called Curse of the BambinoThe Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
to an end by sweeping the St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals 2004 season was the team's 123rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 113th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105-57 during the season and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion Houston Astros...
4 games to 0.
- The 2005 Chicago White Sox
The 2005 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 105th season. They finished with a 99-63 record in the regular season and won first-place the American League Central division by six games over the Cleveland Indians...
breaking their 88-year World Series Championship drought by sweeping the Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in the World SeriesThe 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros four games to none in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home-field...
. McCarver's commentary before and after Scott PodsednikScott Eric Podsednik is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Podsednik led the major leagues in stolen bases in with 70.-Minor leagues:...
's walk-off homer in Game 2 still lives in infamy on the South Side of ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Responding to Joe Buck's question about Brad LidgeBradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
still having a "bad taste in his mouth" after giving up a game-winning homer to Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
in the 2005 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIn the series opener, the Cardinals won 5–3 behind a strong pitching performance by Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter and a two-run home run by Reggie Sanders in the first inning...
, McCarver said, "I don't think that taste is there." Almost instantaneously, Podsednik swung and drove Lidge's pitch out of the park to win the game. The walk-off homer put the White Sox up 2-0 in the series, sent U.S. Cellular FieldU.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
into a frenzy and left McCarver scrambling to cover-up his call.
- The 2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
in which the San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas RangersThe Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in five games for their first title in San Francisco, and the first for the Giants franchise since 1954.
1989 World Series
Perhaps Tim McCarver's most memorable broadcast occurred on October 17, 1989 before Game 3 of the
World Series†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, when the
Loma Prieta earthquakeThe Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
hit during ABC's TV pre-game introductory segment. Some game footage of
Oakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics season saw the A's finish in first place in the American League West division, with a record of 99 wins and 63 losses, seven games in front of the Kansas City Royals. It was their second consecutive AL West title, as well as the second straight year in which they finished...
slugger
Dave ParkerDavid Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...
hitting a double to the wall in right field to drive in
José CansecoJosé Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
from Game 2 was being shown, when, unbeknownst to the viewing audience, the ground began to shake at 5:04 p.m local time. The broadcast picture became full of static, and a distracted McCarver, who was assessing the
San Francisco GiantsThe 1989 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. It was their second division title in three years. The Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games in the National League Championship Series...
' chances for victory in the game, did a verbal double-take. Then McCarver's colleague
Al MichaelsAlan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
broke in and said,
"I'll tell you what; we're having an earthqu-" just as power went out. Soon, a green
ABC SportsESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
graphic replaced the normal picture and over a telephone line, Al Michaels tried to make light of the confusing and chaotic situation by jokingly saying
"Well folks, that's the greatest open in the history of television - bar none!" ABC was able to restore the proper audio and video with a backup generator while McCarver, Michaels, and
Jim PalmerJames Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
remained calm.
Music career
On October 9, 2009, McCarver released a cover album of jazz standards entitled
Tim McCarver Sings Songs from the Great American Songbook.
Honors and awards
In 2010, McCarver was inducted into the
Irish American Baseball Hall of FameThe Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame was established in 2008. It is located at Foley's NY Pub & Restaurant, 18 West 33rd Street, New York, New York ....
as a sportscaster.
External links