Mets fire McCarver
Ex-catcher replaced on TV team by Tom Seaver
Posted: Wednesday February 03, 1999 03:29 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Tim McCarver, a New York Mets broadcaster
for the past 16 seasons, was fired Wednesday by the team and replaced by
Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver.
McCarver said he was notified by the Mets Wednesday morning that his
contract was not being renewed. The move doesn't affect his job with Fox
Sports, where he is the network's lead analyst for its national broadcasts.
"They were fairly blunt, saying, 'We're not picking up next year as far
as your contract is concerned,'" McCarver said. "The word tradition was
mentioned, I think that is why Tom is the guy coming back."
McCarver, nominated 10 times for Sports Emmy Awards but never a winner,
is known for his outspokenness.
"Speak what you perceive as the truth," McCarver said was his philosophy.
"If that's outspokenness, that's fine."
There were rumors that manager Bobby Valentine was upset with McCarver's
criticism last June after Mel Rojas blew a
game against the Yankees.
"He never came up to me and told me he was upset with anything," McCarver
said.
Bob Rosen, McCarver's agent, said it may be too close to spring training
for McCarver to line up a local broadcasting job for this season.
"My suspicion is we will over the course of the season field about 18
different offers for the season following," Rosen said.
The Mets' over-the-air games, which had been broadcast on WWOR since the
team's inception in 1962, are being switched to WPIX this season, with the
Yankees moving from WPIX to WNYW, Fox's New York station. Rosen said
McCarver would not be a good fit for WNYW because many of its Yankees
broadcasts are on the same days as Fox network telecasts.
Seaver won National League Cy Young Awards for the Mets in 1969, '73 and
'75 and is the most beloved player in team history. He is a former
broadcaster for the Yankees.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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