McCarver to Join Costas for the San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals This Thursday, July 2
June 29, 2015 – Hall of Fame award-winning broadcaster Tim McCarver will join MLB Network’s Bob Costas to call the MLB Network Showcase telecast of the San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals this Thursday, July 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Though they’ve each called MLB games over the last four decades, July 2 will mark the first time that Costas and McCarver will call a game together since two “Game of the Week” broadcasts on NBC in 1980, and it will be the first national MLB game McCarver will call since the 2013 World Series.
Over the last 35 years, there are only four World Series – 2014, 1983, 1981 and 1980 – in which neither Costas nor McCarver were part of the broadcast team. McCarver, who most recently spent 18 years as the lead MLB analyst at FOX, has called baseball games for four national U.S. TV networks, including 24 World Series and 20 All-Star Games. McCarver’s guest analyst role on MLB Network Showcase this week is in addition to his current work as an analyst on St. Louis Cardinals game telecasts for FOX Sports Midwest.
“Over the past few years, we’ve looked for opportunities for interesting announcer pairings for the sheer enjoyment of it,” said Costas. “A few years ago, I did a game with my friend Al Michaels; last year it was Bob Uecker; this time, Tim McCarver. He and I have been friends for 35 years, dating to the two games we did together on NBC in 1980. While our paths have crossed zillions of times since then, and we’ve each worked too many games to count, this will be the first time we’ve worked together since. Let’s hope we’ve each learned a few things in the meantime.”
“One of the expressions that I abhor in baseball is ‘at this pace,’ and yet, at this pace, Bob and I will work together every 35 years,” said McCarver. “I’m delighted to be with Bob again, if only for one game.”
The remaining MLB Network Showcase games in July will feature the New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox on Friday, July 10, the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers at NL East first-place Washington Nationals on Friday, July 17, and the Dodgers at New York Mets onThursday, July 23. Games will be blacked out in each club’s home television territory unless otherwise announced. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming. MLB Network’s complete programming lineup is available here.