Former MLB catcher and sports commentator Tim McCarver dies at 81 (PHOTOS)

• Former MLB catcher Tim McCarver dies.
• He won the World Series twice.
• McCarver made his Major League debut with the Cardinals.

The world of baseball is in mourning! Two-time World Series champion turned small-screen star Tim McCarver has died at the age of 81. The MLB confirmed the news and reported the iconic player’s cause of death.

«Tim McCarver was an All-Star, a World Series Champion, a respected teammate and one of the most influential voices our game has known.,» MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement following the unfortunate news.

How did Tim McCarver die?

“As a player, Tim was a key part of great Cardinals and Phillies teams in his 21-year career. In the booth, his analysis and attention to detail brought fans closer to our game,” the MLB commissioner’s statement said.

«Tim’s approach enhanced the fan experience on our biggest stages and on the broadcasts of the Mets, the Yankees and the Cardinals,» added the Major League Baseball official after confirming the death.

“We are grateful for the impact Tim had”

A statement on the official MLB website reported that Tim McCarver died of heart failure on Thursday. He was the recipient of a Ford C. Frick Hall of Fame Award for his work.

«All of us at Major League Baseball are grateful for Tim’s impact on sports broadcasting and his distinguished career in our National Pastime,» Commissioner Rob Manfred added in the statement.

Mourning Tim McCarver’s death

In addition, the commissioner sent his condolences. «I extend my deepest condolences to Tim’s family, his friends and the generations of fans who learned more about the game through him,» Manfred said in the MLB statement.

On the other hand, McCarver not only excelled in sports, but became one of the most recognized sports journalists in the United States. He retired in 1980 and soon after entered the world of television.

“He taught me to deal with criticism because he had been criticized”

According to ESPN, he worked with ABC, CBS and Fox television. His fame was cemented by his 18-year relationship on Fox with play-for-play man Joe Buck. “He taught me to deal with criticism because he had been criticized, his entire professional career. And sometimes it was because he was a master of the game,” Buck said.

The Cardinals signed him at a very young age for $75,000, and he debuted in 1959 at age 17. At only 20 years old, he became the team’s starting catcher, according to ESPN.