No matter what you think of Tim McCarver and judging from the reaction on social media, a lot of people are happy he’s leaving the Fox broadcast booth after this season. I was not a fan and felt he was overrated by the New York media when he was with the Mets in the 1980’s into the 1990’s. In addition, I thought he was verbose and overexplained things. However, you can’t deny his longevity in the booth and his career.
He’s been either the number analyst or co-number dating back to 1985 when he was with ABC Sports. McCarver has worked with some of the game’s best broadcasters including Jack Buck, Bob Costas, Dick Enberg, Sean McDonough and Al Michaels. He’s one of the few broadcasters who has worked for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. And behind the mic, he’s been witness to some of the game’s greatest moments either as a local or national announcer.
So thanks to Fox Sports, we have a timeline of McCarver’s broadcasting career in addition to the partners with whom he’s shared the mic.
Here’s the timeline.
TIM McCARVER’S BROADCASTING CAREER HISTORY
Tim McCarver’s notable broadcasting career began as his standout four-decade baseball career concluded. A three-time Emmy Award winner, he established his reputation as a first-guesser, which has always set him apart from other analysts, during a local broadcasting career that spanned 23 seasons and as MLB’s predominant national voice since 1984. His analysis and astute observations have become synonymous with Major League Baseball’s jewel events and most dramatic moments for 30 years. Below is a summary of McCarver’s impressive broadcasting credits:
LOCAL BROADCAST CREDITS
- 23 seasons as a local team analyst:
- Philadelphia Phillies: (WPHL) 1980 – 1982, 3 seasons
- New York Mets: (WOR) 1983 – 1998, 16 seasons
- New York Yankees: (WNYW) 1999 – 2001, 3 seasons
- San Francisco Giants: (KTVU) 2002, 1 season
- One of only three broadcasters to call local games for the Mets and Yankees
NATIONAL BROADCAST CREDITS
- 30 seasons as a national network MLB analyst
- NBC: 1980 – Analyst – Game of the Week
- ABC: 1984 – 1989 (6 seasons) – Analyst & Field Reporter
- Monday Night Baseball
- National League Championship Series – 1984, 1986, 1988
- World Series – 1985, 1987, 1989
- All-Star Game – 1986, 1988
- CBS: 1990 – 1993 (4 seasons) – Lead Analyst
- Game of the Week
- National League Championship Series (1990-1993)
- World Series (1990-1993)
- All-Star Game (1990-1993)
- ABC: (The Baseball Network) 1994 – 1995 (2 seasons) – Lead Analyst
- Baseball Night in America
- National League Division Series – 1995 (Inaugural Season)
- National League Championship Series – 1995
- World Series – 1995
- FOX: 1996 – through 2012 (17 seasons) – Lead Analyst
- FOX Saturday Baseball Game of the Week – 1996 – 2012
- World Series – 1996, 1998, 2000-2012
- American League Championship Series – 2001, 2003 – 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011
- National League Championship Series – 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012
- American & National League Division Series 1996-2007
- All-Star Game – 1997, 1999, 2001 – 2012
- 2012 Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Only MLB analyst to work for all four major broadcast networks
- Won three straight Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Event Analyst (2000 – 2002)
- Worked on-air every postseason since 1984 (28 consecutive)
- Called 23 World Series – a record
- Called 20 All-Star Games – a record
- Called Mark McGwire’s record breaking 62nd regular season home run in 1998
- Teamed with Joe Buck, his MLB on FOX play-by-play partner, a record 17 years as the network’s lead national baseball broadcast team
- Co-hosted HBO’s Race For the Pennant in 1978
- Field reporter for the National League Championship Series for ABC Sports in 1984
- Hosts the syndicated sports interview program, The Tim McCarver Show, currently in its 12th season
BROADCAST PARTNERS
Dick Enberg (NBC Sports 1980)
Bob Costas (NBC Sports 1980)
Richie Ashburn (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Harry Kalas (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Andy Musser (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Chris Wheeler (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Fran Healy (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Ralph Kiner (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Tom McCarthy (Mets local WOR 1997-1998)
Bob Murphy (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Gary Thorne (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Don Drysdale (ABC Sports 1984)
Keith Jackson (ABC Sports 1984)
Al Michaels (ABC Sports 1985-1989 & The Baseball Network/ABC Sports 1994 & 1995)
Jim Palmer (ABC Sports 1985-1989 & The Baseball Network/ABC Sports 1994 & 1995)
Jack Buck (CBS Sports 1990-1991)
Sean McDonough (CBS Sports 1992-1993)
Jim Kaat (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)
Bobby Murcer (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)
Ken Singleton (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)
Suzyn Waldman (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)
FOX SPORTS
Joe Buck (1996-2013)
Bob Brenly (1996-2000)
Kenny Albert (2003-2013)
Thom Brennaman (2003-2013)
Josh Lewin (2003-2012)
Mel Proctor (2003-2005)
Dick Stockton (2003-2013)
Matt Vasgersian (2003-2013)
TIM McCARVER’S MEMORABLE ON-AIR MOMENTS
- Steve Garvey’s game-winning home run off Lee Smith in Game 4 of the 1984 NLCS
- Umpire Don Denkinger’s infamous blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series
- The classic 16-inning sixth game of the 1986 NLCS between the Mets and Astros
- The memorable seven-game World Series in 1987 between the Twins and Cardinals (home team won every game)
- The Dodgers/Mets seven-game NLCS in 1988
- The 1989 Earthquake Series between the A’s and Giants
- The heart-stopping 1991 World Series between the “worst to first” Twins and Braves, considered by many to be the greatest Fall Classic ever (all seven games were won by the home team)
- The base hit by Atlanta’s Francisco Cabrera that scored Sid Breem with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth of the seventh game of the 1992 NLCS
- Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run off Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series
- The Yankees return to glory as they came back from an 0-2 deficit to beat the Braves in the 1996 World Series
- Mark McGwire breaking Roger Maris’ single season home run record in 1998
- David Cone’s perfect game for the Yankees on July 18, 1999
- The 2000 Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees
- The post-9/11 World Series in October 2001, a series that saw:
- The Diamondbacks take a 2-0 lead at home
- the Yankees roar back with three wins at Yankee Stadium, all by one run and Games 4 and 5 in extra-innings after needing to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie
- the Diamondbacks win Games 6 and 7 at home
- Arizona’s come-from-behind win in the ninth-inning of game 7 (on-air McCarver noted: “The problem with bringing the infield in against a guy like Rivera is that left-handed hitters tend to get a lot of broken-bat hits to…the shallow part of the outfield,” thus predicting Luis Gonzalez’ game-winning hit)
- The Angels first-ever World Series win the seven-game All-California World Series vs. San Francisco in 2002
- The nail-biting 2003 ALCS between the Yankees and Red Sox that featured Aaron Boone’s walk-off pennant-winning home run in Game 7
- The Red Sox historic comeback from an 0-3 deficit to beat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS
- The Red Sox sweep the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series
- The White Sox end their 88-year World Championship drought in 2005
- The Giants win the franchise’s first World Championship since 1954, and it’s first-ever in San Francisco in 2010
- The 2011 Rangers/Cardinals World Series including the epic Game 6 where St. Louis come back from deficits in the 9th and 10th innings and David Freese hit the game-winning, 11th inning solo home run to force Game 7
- Giants’ Pablo Sandoval’s three home runs against Tiger’s Justin Verlander in Game 1 of 2012 World Series
Some interesting material there.
