Page 192 - 1975 BoSox

FOR THOSE WHO SAW TIM McCarver break in with the St. Louis Cardinals more than 40 years ago, it is
probably a surprise that he is now better known for his broadcasting career than for his days as a catcher. Not that he wasn’t always articulate and glib, and that nding a home in the broadcast booth is a shock, it’s just that he was a pretty good ball player who was a major contributor on championship teams.
James Timothy McCarver was born October 16, 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee. A police o cer’s son, he had three brothers and one sister. Surprisingly, it is his sister Marilyn that he gave much of the credit to for his early development. She turned him into a left- handed hitter and worked with young Tim on his elding. By the time he graduated from Christian Brothers High School in 1959 he was a three-sport athlete, shining in football and baseball. He was all- state in both sports as well as captain of both squads. His football team was a powerhouse that won 20 straight games.Tim was a standout at linebacker and was recruited by both Tennessee and Notre Dame. He played American Legion ball for Tony Gagliano, uncle of Phil Gagliano, who also later played with Tim in St. Louis.
McCarver was signed by Cardinals scout Buddy Lewis for $75,000. e New York Yankees were also interested in him. His rst assignment was at Keokuk of the Midwest League, where Brent Musburger served as home plate umpire in Tim’s rst profes-
sional game. One can only imagine the in-game chatter between those two future broadcast legends. He hit .360 in 275 at-bats and then was promoted to Rochester of the International League, where he hit .357 in 70 at-bats. is earned Tim a late-season promotion to the
majors and his rst look at big league pitching: he had four hits in 24 at-bats (.167).
In 1960, McCarver had a big year at Memphis of the Southern Association. He batted .347, good for second in the league. is earned him another late-season call-up to the big leagues. He appeared in 10 games for the Cards and batted .200 with two hits in 10 at-bats. 1961 would not be so kind, however. He stumbled to a .229 average while playing for San Juan/ Charleston of the International League. Another promotion to the Cards saw him get his rst signi cant playing time in the majors.Tim appeared in 22 games and had 67 at-bats. e results weren’t overwhelming as he batted just .239, but did hit his rst home run on July 13, a solo shot to right eld o Tony Cloninger of the Braves.
1962 would be the last he would see of the minor leagues. He played for Atlanta of the International League and had a solid season with a .275 average, 11 homers, and 57 RBIs. Because Atlanta was in the playo s, McCarver played in the minors into early October; he had to wait until the next spring to see the majors again. When he did, he was there to stay and impressed from the start. Despite his youth, he exhibited leadership skills and St. Louis liked him enough to trade starting catcher Gene Oliver, who clubbed 14 homers for them in ’62, in a trading deadline deal for Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves. e trade o cially anointed McCarver as the starting
catcher and he responded with a .289 average, four homers, and 51 RBIs. He also had seven triples. In 1966, his 13 triples tied him with Johnny Kling (1903) for the post-1900 record for triples by a catcher.
Showing rare speed for a man of his posi- tion, McCarver displayed some in a June game against the Mets when he hit his
Tim McCarver
by Dave Williams
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