Tim McCarver

James Timothy McCarver (October 16, 1941 – February 16, 2023) was an American professional baseball catcher and television sports commentator. He played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos, and Boston Red Sox between 1959 and 1980. He was a two time all All-Star and won the World Series, both times with the Cardinals. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he attended Christian Brothers High School where he played both basketball and football alongside baseball. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 at the age of 17. He spent the first 4 years of his career moving between MLB and MiLB league teams, before in 1963 being promoted back to the Majors where he stayed for the reminder of his career. In 1966, he became the first catcher since the 19th century to lead the National League (NL) in triples with 13. He won two World Series at St. Louis in 1964, where he batted .478 in the Series, and hit a three-run home run in the tenth inning to win Game 5 in 1967 and appeared in the All Star Game twice. 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 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 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...