2001 World Series call highlights Tim McCarver's baseball knowledge

Former St. Louis Cardinals' catcher and Fox Baseball commentator Tim McCarver. MCT

Tim McCarver's unmatched baseball knowledge was on display with this incredible World Series call

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 2/16/23

Whether you loved the way he called a game or hated it, there was no denying that Tim McCarver knew baseball at a deep level.

There was perhaps no moment that illustrated that knowledge better than his analysis of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, when he perfectly predicted what would happen just seconds before the exact scene played out.

McCarver died on Thursday at the age of 81, and while he had his share of moments both on the field and in the broadcast booth, this might have been the most impressive when it came to his broadcasting career.

With the game tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the ninth inning, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Luis Gonzalez hit a soft single just over a drawn-in infield off of Yankees closer Mariano Rivera to complete a Game 7 comeback. That gave the Diamondbacks their first -- and only -- World Series title, while also ending the Yankees hopes of a fourth consecutive World Championship.

It all happened just as McCarver described it might.

What makes that call so impressive is McCarver's understanding of the situation and the players involved.

He knew that Rivera loved to jam left handed hitters inside, and for as dominant as he was that could sometimes produce soft, broken bat hits into the shallow outfield.

Because of that, McCarver pointed out the risk the Yankees were taking by playing the infield in against Gonzalez.

It was literally seconds later that an inside pitch to Gonzalez was fought off just enough to drop in over a drawn-in infield. It takes years of knowledge and studying to be able to get something that spot-on accurate.

Had the Yankees played their infield back, Derek Jeter likely catches that soft floater and the Yankees fight for another at-bat.

Prior to his broadcasting days McCarver was an All-Star catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and also a favorite of Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson. He won two World Series with the Cardinals, including in 1964 when he hit a game-winning home run in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the series.

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