Hall Of Fame Baseball Broadcaster Tim McCarver Dead At 81

[TCSquad]

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Hall Of Fame Baseball Broadcaster Tim McCarver Dead At 81

Of course Tim McCarver was a great player in his own right - playing from 1959 to 1980, mostly with the Cardinals at catcher, being named to All-Star team twice and winning two World Series - but I loved McCarver as part of the announce team that called the 1987 Minnesota Twins World Series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. My favorite moment was when they returned from commercial break in Game 6 - after Kent Hrbek's grand slam - and Al Michaels says "Here's Hrbek with natural sound hitting it out;" and less than five seconds later McCarver starts talking again, only for someone to remind him that no one's supposed to be talking! (McCarver was in the process of bringing up Hrbek's pick-off earlier in the game.)

And of course, he was one of many sports announcers with a brief cameo in the underrated sports' comedy Baseketball. 

 

Joseph R. Cooper : I lost the big game and a dear friend. I'm feeling pretty vulnerable right now. I don't think I should be alone...

Tim McCarver : [Turns to the camera and walks away]  It does seem to be raining sh*t on Joe Cooper right now.

[Longdistancetwins]

Tell me if I am remembering this correctly:  During a game in the 1987 World Series, McCarver criticizes Gaetti for playing too far off the line against a Cardinal hitter.  On the next pitch, the batter lines directly into Gaetti’s glove.  McCarver:  “Give that man a PhD!”

[Nine of twelve]

On 2/17/2023 at 1:42 AM, Longdistancetwins said:

Tell me if I am remembering this correctly:  During a game in the 1987 World Series, McCarver criticizes Gaetti for playing too far off the line against a Cardinal hitter.  On the next pitch, the batter lines directly into Gaetti’s glove.  McCarver:  “Give that man a PhD!”

McCarver also made an incorrect call in Game 2 when he said that Gant was safe at first base because Hrbek pulled him off the bag. Hrbek did lift Gant's leg up but Gant was already out at that point, having come off the base as a result of losing his balance.