Tim McCarver and Mistakes

Tim McCarver was an outstanding catcher on some near great St. Louis Cardinals teams that won 3 pennants and 2 World Series from 1964-1968. I really liked him as a player.

I can not say the same thing about his “on air” career though he was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in that category.

Trust me, he in his truly loud voice (at the 1985 World Series I stood at the back of the broadcast booth and while neither Al Michaels nor Jim Palmer could be heard, McCarver could be) has made so many factual mistakes over the years.

One I remember is McCarver saying Bucky Dent’s home run in the one game playoff for the Yankees vs the Boston Red Sox was in the early 1980’s. Of course it was in 1978.

Yesterday, listening to the final game of the 1993 World Series, I note that McCarver said every game of the Yankees’ 4 game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1950 World Series was very close. In game 4, the Yankees led 5-0 going to the top of the 9th and won (5-2). That is not very close.

Interviewing Paul Molitor, McCarver asked “if in his wildest dreams, could you (Paul) imagine a World title in his first year in Toronto?”  “Wildest dreams,” the Blue Jays were defending World’s Champions.

On Tuesday, McCarver will be broadcasting his last All Star Game, with the Mets the host team for the first time since 1964. Oh 1964, Mc Carver the fine player hit the key home run in the 10th inning of the World Series also in a game at New York (Yankee Stadium).

His three run homer in game 5 helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 7 games. It is that McCarver and not the broadcaster McCarver that I admire.

Once, McCarver during the 5th game of the 1986 NLCS in talking of the previous longest NLCS game said the Reds won and Pete Rose’s home run was decisive. McCarver was right and I am the one who told him Rose hit the home run. I am still waiting for his thank you.

Brief Video