NEW YORK– Tim McCarver had those connections with baseball as the Hall of Fame catcher, broadcaster, and with fans. To many, McCarver was an icon, and his analysis in the broadcast booth opened the door to a different perspective of watching a national broadcast with Joe Buck, his longtime partner at FOX Sports.
He was baseball, and that was obvious among colleagues within a fraternity that listened to his insights, humor, and perspective about the game. Basically, Tim McCarver walked into a room and the lights went on. When I learned of his passing last Thursday, my first thought was what the legendary journalist Pete Hamill once wrote about him. “Tim McCarver is one of the smartest men in America,” Hamill stated, and I fully concurred with his assessment.
Image Credit: MLB/St. Louis Cardinals
McCarver’s playing career began in 1959 and ended in 1981, making him one of the few to play in parts of four decades. He was part of the Philadelphia Phillies broadcasting team in 1982. In 1983, he decided to come north on the New Jersey Turnpike as the Mets offered him a lucrative deal to join Ralph Kiner on Mets telecasts. He was with the Mets through the 1998 season.
McCarver was adept at conveying to baseball fans what was going through the minds of managers, and everyone on the baseball field, at any given moment. McCarver’s most famous prescient moment came during the 2001 World Series between the Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 with the Bronx Bombers up by a run, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera faced the Diamondbacks’ Luis Gonzalez with the bases loaded. McCarver informed his audience of the strong possibility of Gonzalez, a good contact hitter, getting a broken bat single. That is exactly what happened as the Diamondbacks rallied for two runs as they wound up winning that World Series.
Never forget when Tim McCarver predicted Luis Gonzalez's walk-off hit in the 2001 World Series
RIP. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/mTvsx3hYTz
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 16, 2023
While Tim McCarver was known for his baseball expertise, he was well-versed in many subjects. Being from Memphis, he had a keen interest in all things Elvis, rockabilly, and Stax soul. Athletes often want to be actors or singers, and he was no different. In 2009, a small Memphis-based label, Archer Records, released a compact disc titled “Tim McCarver Sings Selections from the Great American Songbook.” While he did not make anyone forget Frank Sinatra or Astoria native Tony Bennett, McCarver could carry a tune. His versions of “On A Clear Day” and “Day By Day” were quite good. You can hear them for yourself on YouTube.
The last time I saw him in person was in the fall of 2019, when he was being honored by Fordham University’s radio station, WFUV, with the Vin Scully Award. He introduced me to some of his associates by saying, “This is Lloyd Carroll from the Queens Chronicle. He has been writing about sports forever and I enjoy reading his articles!” He then asked if I wanted to chat with him for my next column, and we did for the next 20 minutes. I felt as if I were on top of the world.
The outpouring of tributes on social media and from legitimate media were expected; they were far from perfunctory. It seemed as if everyone who wrote about Tim McCarver last week felt like they had lost a great friend. And so did most baseball fans.
Keith Hernandez & SNY Back At It
Keith Hernandez and SNY reached an agreement last week on a three-year contract. The holdup may not have been about money, but rather, time off during the season. The 2023 schedule will be brutal as every MLB team will be playing each other in at least one series. Hernandez, who will be 70 in October, cannot be thrilled over the increased road trips in a more condensed period.
Keith Hernandez – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Hernandez, Ron Darling, and Flushing native Gary Cohen begin their 18th season calling Mets games together this Saturday evening when the Mets meet the Miami Marlins to kick off the 2023 spring training schedule.
Play-by-Play Voice, Keith Radd Joins Howie Rose on WCBS
Bayside native Howie Rose will have a new partner calling Mets games on WCBS-AM this year. Keith Raad, who grew up in Valley Stream, replaces Wayne Randazzo, who moved to Anaheim to do play-by-play on Los Angeles Angels telecasts. Patrick McCarthy will handle the pre and postgame show duties. He is the son of Philadelphia Phillies television play-by-play voice, Tom McCarthy.
Basketball HOF Posthumoulsy Grants Tom Konchalski with John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award
The Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA will be posthumously granting its John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime Forest Hills resident Tom Konchalski, who was considered to be the greatest amateur scout in hoops history. Frankly, Konchalski, who succumbed to prostate cancer two years ago at the age of 74, should have been honored during his lifetime by the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Remembering & Tribute to Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch, who passed away last week at the age of 82, was for baby boomers what Marilyn Monroe was to their parents’ generation. While she will always be remembered for being a sex symbol, Welch was a talented song and dance performer, as well as being an underrated actress. I will always associate her with the 1972 film, “The Kansas City Bomber,” in which she played a roller derby skater. Welch reportedly did her own stunts.
Image Credit: MGM
Fifty years ago, professional wrestling and roller derby were on a par in terms of popularity. You could find both forms of sports entertainment on small, cost-conscious local television stations such as Channel 9 in New York and the defunct Channel 48 in Philadelphia. Having Raquel Welch star in a film was probably the reason for roller derby’s high water mark. It did not have a visionary who saw the future of both broadcast and cable television like Vince McMahon.
Television & Entertainment Night Court on NBC
NBC’s reboot of “Night Court,” starring Melissa Rauch of “Big Bang Theory” fame, and John Larroquette who co-starred with the late Harry Anderson in the original series, which ran from 1984 through 1992, nicely captures its predecessor’s humor and warmth. It is also doing well in the Nielsen ratings, which shows broadcast networks can still draw big audiences with good programming.
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
