NEW YORK -- Tim McCarver, the All-Star catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster who during 60 years in baseball won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals and had a long run as one of the most recognized, incisive and talkative television commentators in the country, died Thursday. He was 81.
McCarver's death was announced by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which said he died Thursday morning in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was with his family.
Among the few players to appear in major league games in four different decades, McCarver was a two-time All Star who worked closely with two future Hall of Fame pitchers: the tempestuous Bob Gibson, whom McCarver caught for St. Louis in the 1960s, and the introverted Steve Carlton, McCarver's fellow Cardinal in the '60s and a Philadelphia Phillies teammate in the 1970s.
He switched to television soon after retiring in 1980 and became best known to national audiences for his 18-year partnership on Fox with play-by-play man Joe Buck.
"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."
Six feet tall and solidly built, McCarver was a policeman's son from Memphis who got into more than a few fights while growing up but was otherwise playing baseball and football and imitating popular broadcasters, notably the Cards' Harry Caray. He was signed while still in high school by the Cardinals for $75,000, a generous offer for that time; was just 17 when he debuted for them in 1959; and was in his early 20s when he became the starting catcher.
McCarver attended segregated schools in Memphis and often spoke of the education he received as a newcomer in St. Louis. His teammates included Gibson and outfielder Curt Flood, Black players who did not hesitate to confront or tease McCarver. When McCarver used racist language against a Black child trying to jump a fence during spring training, Gibson would remember "getting right up in McCarver's face."
McCarver liked to tell the story about drinking an orange soda during a hot day in spring training and Gibson asking him for some, then laughing when McCarver flinched.
"It was probably Gibby more than any other Black man who helped me to overcome whatever latent prejudices I may have had," McCarver wrote in his 1987 memoir "Oh, Baby, I Love It!"
McCarver's death was announced by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which said he died Thursday morning in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was with his family.
Among the few players to appear in major league games in four different decades, McCarver was a two-time All Star who worked closely with two future Hall of Fame pitchers: the tempestuous Bob Gibson, whom McCarver caught for St. Louis in the 1960s, and the introverted Steve Carlton, McCarver's fellow Cardinal in the '60s and a Philadelphia Phillies teammate in the 1970s.
He switched to television soon after retiring in 1980 and became best known to national audiences for his 18-year partnership on Fox with play-by-play man Joe Buck.
"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."
Six feet tall and solidly built, McCarver was a policeman's son from Memphis who got into more than a few fights while growing up but was otherwise playing baseball and football and imitating popular broadcasters, notably the Cards' Harry Caray. He was signed while still in high school by the Cardinals for $75,000, a generous offer for that time; was just 17 when he debuted for them in 1959; and was in his early 20s when he became the starting catcher.
McCarver attended segregated schools in Memphis and often spoke of the education he received as a newcomer in St. Louis. His teammates included Gibson and outfielder Curt Flood, Black players who did not hesitate to confront or tease McCarver. When McCarver used racist language against a Black child trying to jump a fence during spring training, Gibson would remember "getting right up in McCarver's face."
McCarver liked to tell the story about drinking an orange soda during a hot day in spring training and Gibson asking him for some, then laughing when McCarver flinched.
"It was probably Gibby more than any other Black man who helped me to overcome whatever latent prejudices I may have had," McCarver wrote in his 1987 memoir "Oh, Baby, I Love It!"
