Tim McCarver

Tim McCarver
McCarver in 2002
Catcher
Born: (1941-10-16)October 16, 1941 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died: February 16, 2023(2023-02-16) (aged 81) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 10, 1959, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance
October 5, 1980, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics
Batting average	.271
Home runs	97
Runs batted in	645
Teams
St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1961, 1963–1969) Philadelphia Phillies (1970–1972) Montreal Expos (1972) St. Louis Cardinals (1973–1974) Boston Red Sox (1974–1975) Philadelphia Phillies (1975–1980)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1966, 1967) 2× World Series champion (1964, 1967) St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame

James Timothy McCarver (October 16, 1941 – February 16, 2023) was an American professional baseball catcher, television sports commentator, and singer.^[1][2] He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1959 to 1980 for four teams, spending almost all of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. A two-time All-Star, he helped the Cardinals to the 1964 World Series title, batting .478 in the Series, including a three-run home run in the tenth inning to win Game 5. In 1966, he became the first catcher since the 19th century to lead the National League (NL) in triples with 13. McCarver was runner-up for the 1967 NL Most Valuable Player Award, behind teammate Orlando Cepeda, after batting .295 and leading NL catchers in assists and fielding percentage.

Traded to the Phillies after the 1969 season, he was later re-joined by pitcher and St. Louis teammate Steve Carlton, becoming his regular catcher as the team won three division titles from 1976 to 1978. After increased use as a pinch hitter in his last several seasons, in September 1980, McCarver became the 18th major league player to play in four decades.

After his playing career, McCarver became a television color commentator, most notably for Fox Sports after previous stints with the other three broadcast networks. He eventually set a record by calling 23 World Series as well as 20 All-Star Games, earning three Emmy Awards in the process. In 2012, McCarver was named the Ford C. Frick Award recipient. He was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2016,^[3][4] and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2017.