He's won Emmy awards and been enshrined into the broadcast wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Now he has his very own star.
Former Major League Baseball player Tim McCarver was inducted Monday into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. He was a stalwart on Cardinals teams of the 1960s and was named an All-Star twice.
"I've never had anything, any Walk of Fame, anywhere," McCarver told St. Louis Public Radio. "This is really something."
The unveiling of his star, across from the Moonrise Hotel on Delmar Boulevard, marked a career completion of sorts for the 2012 Ford C. Frick Awardwinner from the baseball Hall of Fame for excellence in broadcasting.
The Memphis, Tennessee, native signed with the Cardinals in 1959 at the age of 17.
"It's been 55 years of my life. That's a long time," McCarver said.
McCarver spent more than 30 minutes Monday signing autographs for fans who came out get a first-hand look at the most recent addition to the Walk of Fame.
Dave Hoffman made the trip to the University City Loop from Creve Coeur, with his seven-year old son, Noah.
"It's about instilling the kind of values that Tim McCarver has taught us through his playing career and his broadcasting career and passing that on to the next generation of Cardinals’ fans," Hoffman said.
"Honesty, good analysis, hard work, dedication - both on the field and off the field."
Even though McCarver has a strong connection to St. Louis, his playing days extended beyond the Cardinals, with stops in Philadelphia, Montreal and Boston. As a broadcaster, he's worked for every major commercial network and with some heavy-hitters in the booth, including Bob Costas and Jack Buck.
However, the well-traveled McCarver keeps being drawn to St. Louis and is working on some Cardinals broadcasts this season after stepping back from his national television role last year.
"It's a real honor," McCarver said. "I feel as close to St. Louis as I do to Memphis."
