Tim McCarver Retiring From Fox Network After This Season
Tim McCarver is retiring from Fox Sports after this year’s Major League Baseball season is over. This year marks the analyst’s 55th straight season of MLB coverage.
McCarver is a two-time champion catcher and will help Fox call the World Series this year. After that, he will step down from his analyst job at Fox.
The 71-year-old McCarver explained his decision on Wednesday, saying, “I wanted to step down while I know I can still do the job and proud of the job I’ve done.”
His health and passion for the game did not play a part in the decision. Instead, McCarver decided it was time. He added, “It’s not a tough call. It’s not a sad thing for me.” The decision to retire was also not spur of the moment.
Tim McCarver has been thinking about stepping down for a few years. He made the decision this winter when Fox executives visited him at his home in Florida to discuss extending his contract. Instead, they never started their negotiations.
Despite retiring as an analyst, McCarver may still appear on Fox or Fox Sports 1, though in a different role. However, he wants to try retirement before he decides if he will still want to do broadcasting.
McCarver has provided analysis for a record 23 World Series. He has also worked 28 consecutive postseasons on network television. He got his start in 1980 with the Philadelphia Philllies. Along with the Phillies, Tim McCarver also called local games for the New York Mets and Yankees and the San Francisco Giants. Commissioner Bud Selig told the broadcaster on Wednesday, “You’ve always been a great symbol of class.
McCarver was also honored by baseball’s Hall of Fame last year. He received the Ford C. Frick Award for major contributions to baseball broadcasting. Along with a stellar broadcasting career, Tim McCarver also spent 21 seasons in the major leagues between 1959 and 1980.
He mostly played with the Cardinals and Phillies. He boasted a career .271 hitting average and had 97 home runs and 645 RBIs. McCarver was a two-time all star and won the World Series with St. Louis in 1964 and 1967.
There is no word on when — or if — Tim McCarver will return to broadcasting. His current plans include visiting Italy for cooking classes.
[Image via Twitter]
