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We lost two great sports broadcasters in February 2023: Tim McCarver and Billy Packer knew what they were talking about and were always interesting, entertaining, and respectful of both cohosts and fans
American Thinker ^ | 02/19/2023 | Will O'Toole

Posted on 02/19/2023 7:16:45 AM PST by SeekAndFind

February has seen the passing of two great broadcasters: Tim McCarver, 81, a baseball broadcaster, and Billy Packer, 82, a basketball broadcaster. What fans most appreciated about the two was their “down to Earth,” simple explanations about events during a game, as well as their unique insights and perspectives.

Packer was a standout player for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The son of a coach, he scored 1,300 points at a time when freshmen couldn’t play varsity and led Wake to two ACC titles and their only Final Four in 1962. He went into coaching but quickly found his true calling in broadcasting.

Tim McCarver wasn’t a spectacular ballplayer, but he was a solid one, mainly for the Cardinals, hitting .271 in a career that spanned four decades. He played on three Cardinals pennant teams and two World Championship clubs. In fact, McCarver did achieve spectacular heights in the big spot, hitting .311 in the World Series, including clutch hits in the 1964 and 1967 classics.

Ironically, on a team known for speed thanks to teammates Lou Brock, Curt Flood, and Bobby Tolan, McCarver was the last National League catcher to lead the league in triples, with 13 in 1966 in one of his two All-Star seasons. While he lacked Johnny Bench’s stature, McCarver was the catcher du jour for two Hall of Fame pitchers, righty Bob Gibson and portsider Steve Carlton.

In fact, the major reason the Phillies traded for McCarver was to give the lefty Carlton a personal, reliable, erudite backstop to call his games. Although McCarver didn’t play when the Phillies had their first championship team in 1980, he was an integral part of building the team to championship caliber.

Both men had great stories to tell.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: History; Society; Sports; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: broadcasters; sports


1 posted on 02/19/2023 7:16:45 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I remember seeing Billy’s post-game interview of Cozell McQueen back in the 80s. Cozell had had a career night, controlling the boards and scoring at will. Billy commented on how Cozell had made shots with either hand and Cozell made the most famous remark in the history of ACC basketball when he quipped ‘Yeah, I’m amphibious’.


2 posted on 02/19/2023 7:38:22 AM PST by ComputerGuy (Heavily-medicated for your protection)
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To: SeekAndFind
I was a big fan of McCarver as a player but not as a broadcaster.

RIP

3 posted on 02/19/2023 7:41:00 AM PST by Road Warrior ‘04 (BOYCOTT The NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR & Faux Snooze! Molon Labe! Oathkeeper! )
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To: SeekAndFind
Packer was a knowledgeable broadcaster yet was overwhelmingly biased toward the ACC....especially Duke.

His bias really started showing in the 90s. Yet he wasn't that way back in the late 70s with Enberg and McGuire.

4 posted on 02/19/2023 7:52:57 AM PST by ealgeone
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To: SeekAndFind

McCarver was a blowhard in the booth. He and Buck were the worst.


5 posted on 02/19/2023 11:51:53 AM PST by Demian
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To: Demian

Which Buck? Jack Buck was the standard of sports broadcasting.


6 posted on 02/19/2023 3:40:25 PM PST by lurk (u)
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