Our Secret Shame
Yes, it’s true. For 11 games at the end of 1974 season and 12 games at the beginning of the 1975 season, Tim “Awesomest Broadcaster Ever” McCarver was a member of the Boston Red Sox.
The Sox purchased McCarver’s contract from the Cardinals for a very modest amount on September 1, 1974, with the intent to use him as a backup catcher (they already had Bob Montgomery and Carlton Fisk- but Fisk suffered a knee injury that ended his ‘74 season). McCarver managed to get 12 games worth of playing time in over the final weeks of 1974. But the following season, McCarver played in just 11 games during the first 3 months of the ‘75 season. Then at the end of June, the day before Carlton Fisk (6 years his junior) returned from the DL, McCarver was unconditionally released by the Sox. I suppose it’s no surprise then he developed his odd anti-Sox slant – an unconditional and unceremonious release must have been pretty embarrassing. The Phillies ended up signing him as a free agent at the beginning of July 1975 (at the behest of his woobie, Steve Carlton). McCarver is totally the Mirabelli to Carlton’s Wakefield, except that no one wants to rip the ears off their head after listening to Mirabelli.
The only good thing I have to say about McCarver is that he gave us the awesome phrase “cobra in a basket”. That’s it. Please don’t say I have to somehow give him some small measure of credit for the Sox appearance in the ‘75 Series… I refuse.
Thanks to Meredith for the card scan!
You know your sideburns are impressive when they are strong enough to keep your cap from being pulled down.
And wow, this does explain a lot…
For ballplayers -
70s : weird sideburns :: 00s : weird chin hair
TG—
SO VERY TRUE. Astute observation.
We certainly saw movement towards weird chin hair in the 80s, when the weird hair moved laterally across the sagittal plane to merge at the median between ears and chin, that is, the upper lip.
Evolution along this trend logically puts the weird hair on the chin.
So what will be next? Weird chest hair? I shudder to think.
I’m surprised there hasn’t been scholarly work published on this.
Eew. The sight of him in a Sox hat just sent shivers down my spine.
And TG/Margaret, I definitely agree. But the next decade should therefore be… neck hair? o.o
Liza–
I skipped that idea on purpose. I just started picturing these players with manes around their necks like lions, and I figured that was just a little too weird for me.
Hm. I think a trip to Photoshop is in order…
Well, it’s no masterpiece, but it made me chuckle.
HAHAHAHA! Now THAT really makes Jacoby resemble Johnny Damon! Ahh, TG, this site just gets better and better. My first baseball love was Carlton Fisk. Good to see his name come up ANYTIME.
Now I know why I sensed a little Sox hatred from Timbo during the World Series. From Mr. Buck, too. Drat those two…suck it up, Boys!