Enjoy him while you can. 2013 will be Tim McCarver‘s last year in the FOX broadcast booth.
The longtime color commentator has announced he is retiring at season’s end. McCarver began his second career in 1979 after he retired from baseball, although he eventually returned to the game briefly in 1980 to become one of 29 MLB players to play in four decades. McCarver has announced 23 World Series and 20 All-Star games.
“I wanted to step down while I could still do the job,” McCarver said. “It’s not a tough call. It’s not a sad thing for me. … But I’m going to miss Joe Buck a lot.”
McCarver has broadcast games on all four major networks. He’s been calling games on FOX with Buck since 1996. The 71-year-old has had his share of miscues as of late, but his amazing 54 years in the game — plus a Ford C. Frick Award — make him a baseball legend.
As for post-retirement plans?
“I want to take cooking classes in Italy,” McCarver said. “And I love to read, although I know reading gets old after a while.”
There are no plans for McCarver to appear on the upcoming Fox Sports 1 channel, which debuts Aug. 17.
