PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A key piece of the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies World Series championship team, and one of the most tenured and beloved television analysts in baseball history, has died.
The Phillies announced the death Thursday of former catcher Tim McCarver, who spent parts of nine seasons with the Phillies and played for segments of 21 total Major League Baseball seasons. He was 81.
He died Thursday morning in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was with his family.
McCarver started his career at 17 years old with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959. He won two World Series with the Cardinals in 1964 and 1967 before coming for his first stint with the Phillies in 1970. He was their lead catcher in 1971.
After a short tenure in Montreal, a return to St. Louis and a year and a half in Boston, McCarver returned to Philadelphia. He was a role layer on four playoff teams over his five-plus years during that second stanza with the Phillies, including his time as designated catcher for Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton.
Though he only played a late portion of his final season in Philadelphia, McCarver delivered key hits in the late September run to the National League East title.
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During a portion of that final season in Philadelphia, he sat beside Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn in the Phillies television booth, helping call the final outs of the Phils’ Game 5 win in the National League Championship Series over the Houston Astros.
That experience launched his next, and longest, career in baseball - a 40-year tenure as a baseball analyst and play-by-play voice.
McCarver offered his folksy but intelligent style calling baseball on all four major networks, including 23 World Series on ABC, CBS and FOX. He also called games locally for the Phillies, New York Mets, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals.
For his work on the television microphone, he was named a Baseball Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award Winner in 2012.
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“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,” said Phillies Managing Partner and CEO John Middleton.
“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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.