Hall of Fame Baseball Player and Announcer Tim McCarver Dead at 81

Tim McCarver, a Hall of Fame broadcaster and All-Star catcher who spent 60 years playing and reporting on baseball, has died at 81.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced his death Thursday, sharing he passed in the morning with his family by his side. As one of few players whose career spanned four decades, McCarver was a two-time All Star, playing with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies during his 21 years on the field, according to ESPN.

He pivoted to broadcasting after retiring in 1980, where he partnered with Jack Buck and later his son Joe Buck in an 18-year deal with Fox.

"Tim McCarver was an All-Star, a World Series Champion, a respected teammate and one of the most influential voices our game has known," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "As a player, Tim was a key part of great Cardinals and Phillies teams in his 21-year career."

He added, "In the booth, his analysis and attention to detail brought fans closer to our game and how it is played and managed. Tim's approach enhanced the fan experience on our biggest stages and on the broadcasts of the Mets, the Yankees and the Cardinals."

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Growing up in Memphis, McCarver attended a segregated school, and spoke throughout his career about the education he received from Black players like Bob Gibson and Curt Flood when he joined the Cardinals at just 17. Neither were afraid to put McCarver in his place if he said or did something racist.

At his peak, McCarver batted .295 with 14 home runs, finishing second for Most Valuable Player in 1967.

McCarver also notably played alongside Steve Carlton, with whom he initially had issues, amounting to fights between the two on the field, but eventually grew a very close friendship and partnership.

McCarver was Carlton's designated catcher and the two were so in sync, McCarver joked they would be buried 60 ft., 6 in. apart: The distance between the pitching mound mark and home plate.

"Behind every successful pitcher, there has to be a very smart catcher, and Tim McCarver is that man," Carlton said during his 1994 Hall of Fame induction speech.

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After retiring and joining Fox, McCarver went on to win six Emmys and was the Ford C. Frick Award winner in 2012 for broadcasting.

"I think there is a natural bridge from being a catcher to talking about the view of the game and the view of the other players," McCarver said in his acceptance speech. "It is translating that for the viewers."

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He is survived by his wife Anne McDaniel and two children.