Tim McCarver, former major league catcher and longtime MLB broadcaster, has passed away, it was announced today. McCarver was 81.
McCarver made his major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959, when he was just 17, and spent brief parts of the 1960 and 1961 seasons in the majors as well. He got to the big leagues for good in 1963, becoming the everyday catcher for the Cards that year, and didn’t retire until 1980, making him one of the rare players to have played in a span that covers four different decades.
McCarver’s best year was 1967, when he put up a 6.