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Free-agent right-hander Michael Wacha in agreement with Padres, pending physical, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 14, 2023
We are saddened to learn of the passing of Cardinals Hall of Fame catcher Tim McCarver.
A two-time World Series champion, McCarver caught 12 seasons in St. Louis over his 21-year career.
Our condolences go out to the McCarver family and his many baseball friends and colleagues. pic.twitter.com/5Yrh39PRt5
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 16, 2023
Sad news for everyone, but particularly those of us who recall his outstanding days as a first rate backstop for the Redbirds. No question that Tim McCarver was the guy that called the games of the two greatest pitchers to ever wear a Cardinal uniform.
Mine too, Bling. Everyone knows that he had a long playing career, but most are more familiar with him as a broadcaster. Tim McCarver in his prime was not only an outstanding hitter, but always amped up his bat with runners aboard in tight games when he was a Cardinal. And when do think another catcher will ever collect 13 triples in a season to lead the Big Leauges? At any rate, his Topps or Fleer card was every bit as prized to me as Gibson’s, Brock’s or Cepeda’s when I was a kid.
All my old Cardinal hero’s are gone
Brock
Gibson
McCarver
I am just so saddened today! Those Cardinal teams of the 1960’s will never be topped!!No, they really won’t, Steve60. Those were the teams that we were conceived as baseball fans and cut our teeth on.
I first really got into baseball in 1968. That’s why I’m a Redbird fan. What a memorable group of players and McCarver was a big part of all that. And isn’t our perception of time relative as the years go by? Hard to believe it’s been nearly two and a half years since Gibby and Lou passed away.
Sad to hear about McCarver. That era of Cardinal teams were the teams my uncles grew up on, which is why I’m a Cardinal fan today. RIP.
I grew up in Memphis and was about 11 or 12 when McCarver played for Christian Bros. and Bill Sperios in American Legion. My Dad took me to many of their games and I was a fan of his. Of course, I continued to be when He became a Cardinal. I was never a fan of his as an announcer.
Just got finished listening to the 1967 WS! Had to drive from Texas to South Dakota and got all 7 games in! What a team! Maris batting 3rd, Cepeda 4, McCraver 5! I cried a lot! Know that sounds wimpy but Dan they were just so good!
I was just wondering if Timmy was going to come back and do the color analysis on some of our games this year.
Man, this is a tough one. I echo what many of you said about being a kid when those great ‘60s teams were my heroes. Some memories – being on the playground in grade school and the PE teacher was monitoring us. He had the ‘64 World Series game on the radio and a bunch of were crowded around listening. Game five, goes into extras, and McCarver crashed a three-run bomb that held up to give us a 3-2 games lead heading home for game six.
Later hearing the 1964 season highlight album, and McCarver caught a foul pop up in game 162 that clinched the pennant. Harry Caray is in the dugout broadcasting and catching snippets of the mayhem as the players are running off the field. He sees McCarver and says “Timmy, Timmy – how does it feel, boy?” An exuberant and youthful sound McCarver yells “That is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in my life!!”
After a Cardinal game in’73 when Tim had rejoined the club – outside the clubhouse watching the players come out. McCarver comes out and spends maybe 10-15 minutes talking to fans, and giving pointers to kids on the best way to approach players who you want to get an autograph from.
We all lost another piece of our childhood today. And this after Raquel Welch passed away yesterday. That is a bit too much for me to take!! RIP Timmy!
Very sad to hear about mccarver. While I don’t have a lot of recollection of him as a player, I always enjoyed listening to him. While I’m not sure I would want him doing every game, a few times here n there were great. He will be missed. A great cardinal as well a great person.
I’m reasonably sure you’ve probably seen it BikeMike, but there’s an excellent photo in today’s local StL. paper of Tim following through on that 3 run WS tater that you mentioned. Not only does the photo capture his image in a precise perfect left-handed hitting follow through as the ball has just left his bat on the way to leaving the field of play, but he’s also biting his tongue in extreme concentration long before anyone ever heard of Michael Jordan…Haha! In any event, there’s 24 total photos at the end of the article that are primarily devoted to Tim and his great Redbird teams of the 60’s. I’d highly recommend checking them out. And yeah, it’s really tough when the people that added to the magic of childhood say goodbye.
What’s worse than Tim McCarver leaving us is that Raquel Welch has also passed. Now that was something!
Thanks for the notice, 1TD. I will see if I can bring that up.
Rats, I mentioned Raquel on my prior post up a few notches. A tough week indeed!
Great Cardinals passing the leadership on to others…
I was saddened to hear that my friend Tim McCarver passed away. Several letters from Mr McCarver that he sent me through the years remain treasures to me. The following note still hangs in my locker at my home golf course. A great man and a great @Cardinals He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/AlyoFcQmz5
— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) February 18, 2023
Wow, really cool note! One of those intangible treasures of Cardinals’ lore that extends over the course of time.
Rangers Sign Dominic Leone To Minor League Deal https://t.co/S9aSUukIYc pic.twitter.com/e3w2040EYM
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) February 18, 2023
This one is hard to take. I didn’t know Tim was in ill health, although I knew he was getting up there.
I learned baseball with the 1967 Cardinals, living in Memphis and listening to all the Cardinals games on the radio with Harry Caray and Jack Buck. Still remember their starters: Cepeda, Javier, Maxville, Shannon, McCarver, Brock, Flood, Maris. And of course Gibson.
I loved watching McCarver as a catcher. He could run pretty well and hit for a high average, which was (and is) rare for a catcher. And he had great rapport with Bob Gibson when he caught him.
1967 was a great Cardinal year, I used to have a record album celebrating that Cardinals team.
1968 was great too, though the first six games of the WS anyway.I recall Gibson had just struck out 17 Tigers in game 1 of the WS and they put it up on the scoreboard that he broke the WS strikeout record. The crowd in Busch was giving Gibson an ovation on the mound and he had no idea why, McCarver stood up and pointed over Gibson’s shoulder at the scoreboard.
Then Gibson finally turned around, saw the scoreboard signage that he had set the record, and he acknowledged the crowd. A great moment in Cardinals history.
Two former members of the Cardinal organization.
Rich Hill, 42, assists Johan Oviedo, 24, with his breaking ball following Oviedo's bullpen session on Feb. 17, 2023 at Pirate City in Bradenton.
(Photo: Justice delos Santos) pic.twitter.com/chXxk3s55t
— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) February 17, 2023
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