• Tim McCarver, who parlayed a solid career as a major league catcher into a Hall of Fame career as a broadcaster, has passed away. He was 81.
McCarver was a two-time All Star and two-time World Series champion who was the catcher of choice for two of baseball's most iconic and successful pitchers - Bob Gibson when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals and Steve Carlton for both the Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he transitioned to the broadcast booth, McCarver proved to be both eloquent (some said too talkative) and prescient in his color commentary … he knew and loved the game, and was able to communicate that joy while teaching both the basics and the subtleties of the greatest game on earth.
And, he was fearless - he got fired from the New York Mets broadcast booth in 1999 after 16 seasons on the air because management felt he was too critical of the team.
