Tim McCarver died on Thursday at the age of 81, and he received tributes online for his contributions to baseball as a player and broadcaster.
In honor of the late former Cardinals catcher, we must highlight one broadcasting moment that deserves some special recognition.
In 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees in seven games to win the World Series. They did it the hard way too, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth off unanimous first-ballot Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera.
The wild thing is that McCarver saw it coming.
Take a listen to this call where McCarver noted how bringing the infield in could backfire on the Yankees due to Rivera’s tendency to give up broken-bat, bloop hits into the shallow part of the outfield.
Could he have nailed that call any more than he did? Incredible.
That wasn’t the only time McCarver was on the money during a World Series game. During Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, McCarver somewhat foretold Scott Spiezio’s huge home run for the Angels against the Giants.
McCarver's outstanding calls will live on.
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