Longtime major league catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim McCarver died at age 81 on Thursday, the Hall of Fame announced. A cause of death was not given.
"Tim McCarver was an All-Star, a World Series Champion, a respected teammate, and one of the most influential voices our game has known," 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."
Born and raised in Memphis, McCarver signed with the Cardinals as an amateur in 1959 and made his MLB debut as a 17-year-old later that year. He reached the big leagues for good in 1963, won the World Series with St. Louis in 1964 and was an All-Star by 1966. In 1967, McCarver hit .295/.369/.452 with 14 home runs and led St. Louis to a World Series win over the Red Sox, his second championship ring. He finished second in the NL MVP voting behind Orlando Cepeda that year.
"We were saddened to learn today of the passing of Tim McCarver," Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. "Tim was a very popular player with the Cardinals and a key member of our World Series Championship teams in 1964 and 1967. He remained a fixture in the game following his playing career, earning Hall of Fame recognition as a national broadcaster, and in later years as a Cardinals television analyst and a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame. On behalf of the entire Cardinals organization, I would like to express our deepest condolences to the McCarver family."
McCarver was traded to the Phillies on Oct. 7, 1969, in a deal that also involved Curt Flood and Dick Allen. Flood refused to report to Philadelphia after the trade and later filed a lawsuit challenging MLB's reserve clause. That put the wheels in motion to end the reserve clause and usher in the free agency era.
With the Phillies, McCarver became the personal catcher for Hall of Famer Steve Carlton and helped the team to three consecutive NL East titles from 1976-78. He retired following the 1980 season as a career .271/.337/.388 hitter with 1,501 hits and 97 home runs in over 1,900 games played. McCarver won two World Series titles with the Cardinals (1964 and 1967) and is one of only a handful of players to play in four different decades. He also played for the Expos and Red Sox during his career.
"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 jumped into broadcasting immediately following the end of his playing career. He called games for the Phillies (1980-82), Mets (1983-98), Yankees (1999), Giants (2002), and Cardinals (2014-21) while also working national broadcasts for CBS (1990-93) and Fox (1996-2013). All told, McCarver covered 20 All-Star Games and 23 World Series, a record at the time of his retirement in April 2022. He was the voice of the World Series and the voice of baseball for generations of fans.
"We are saddened to learn of the passing today of Tim McCarver, who for 16 years in the television booth gave Mets fans an insightful, humorous and knowledgeable behind the scenes look into the game of baseball," the Mets said in a statement. "Tim drew on his 21-year career as a catcher to give viewers a unique opinion on what went on between the lines. We send our condolences to his daughters, Kathy and Kelley, and the rest of the McCarver family."
In 2012, McCarver received the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award, given annually to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." He was also inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2017.
