McCarver, former catcher and broadcaster, dies

McCarver’s death was announced by baseball’s Hall of Fame, which said he died Thursday morning due to heart failure in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was with his family.

Among the few players to appear in major league games during four decades, McCarver was a two-time All Star who worked closely with two future Hall of Fame pitchers: The tempestuous Bob Gibson, whom McCarver caught for St. Louis in the 1960s, and the introverted Steve Carlton, McCarver’s fellow Cardinal in the ’60s and a Philadelphia Phillies teammate in the 1970s.

He switched to television soon after retiring in 1980 and called 24 World Series for ABC, CBS and Fox, a record for a baseball analyst on television.

“I think there is a natural bridge from being a catcher to talking about the view of the game and the view of the other players,” McCarver told the Hall in 2012, the year he and Joe Buck were given the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting. “It is translating that for the viewers. One of the hard things about television is staying contemporary and keeping it simple for the viewers.”

McCarver became best known to national audiences for his 18-year partnership on Fox with play-by-play man Buck. McCarver moved to Fox in 1996 when it began televising baseball and called his final World Series in 2013.

“I learned really fast that if you were in his inner circle, he would be a fierce defender of you and for you,” Buck said Thursday. “He taught me how to deal with criticism because he had been criticized, his whole broadcast career. And sometimes it was because he was a teacher of the game. If some player or manager didn’t manage or play the way he thought the game should be played, he let a national audience know it. He was always the first one in the clubhouse the next day. If that person had something to say back to him, he would engage and stood his ground, but it was fair.

“He taught me a lot about the game, but he taught me as much or more about how to broadcast on a on a national level.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement that McCarver was “a respected teammate and one of the most influential voices our game has known.” McCarver, who in the 1960s was an early and prominent union activist, was praised Thursday by Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark for his “lead role” in the union’s formation.

For Corbin Burnes, the disappointment wasn’t from losing his salary arbitration case so much as hearing the words the Milwaukee Brewers used during the proceedings to determine his 2023 salary.

The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner attended his case and came away with hard feelings. He lost his hearing and will receive $10.01 million from the Brewers rather than his $10.75 million request.

“Obviously, it’s tough to hear. It’s tough to take. They’re trying to do what they can to win a hearing,” Burnes told reporters at spring training in Phoenix. “There’s no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt from what (transpired) over the last couple weeks. There’s really no way of getting around that.”

A five-year veteran, Burnes is 35-19 with a 3.21 ERA. He is eligible for free agency after the 2024 World Series.

“You kind of find out your true value,” the right-hander said. “You think you work hard for seven years in the organization, and five years with the big-league team, and you get in there and basically they value you much different than what you thought you’d contributed to the organization.

“They won it. But when it came down to winning or losing the hearing, it was more than that for me.”

Burnes felt like he was put “in the forefront” of the reason why the Brewers didn’t make the postseason in 2022.

This was icing on the cake for Seattle outfielder and American League Rookie of the Year Julio Rodríguez: A “cooking show.”

As the cover player for the recently released 2023 Topps Series One baseball cards, Rodríguez made a playful promotion through a baking segment called, “Batter Up.”

Chef Rodríguez mixed together flour, sticks of baseball gum and a full scoop of gooey hustle. Then, he poured the concoction into a muffin pan, placed it into the oven for a brief moment and, presto, out popped packs of cards bearing his image.

Rodríguez is coming off a season in which he hit .284 with 28 homers and 25 steals.

Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter had his locker strategically placed next to veteran righty Zack Wheeler.

That way, the 19-year-old Painter has a nearby mentor to help him settle in. Painter is a candidate for the fifth spot in the Phillies’ rotation.

Wheeler’s early advice to Painter: “Don’t put too much stress on yourself … Just let your stuff take control and take care of itself.”

It was quite a day for Painter as the Phillies held their first workout for pitchers and catchers. He had his bullpen session watched by team owner John Middleton.

Painter, the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft, is 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 starts over two minor league seasons.

To celebrate their silver anniversary, the Tampa Bay Rays established a team Hall of Fame. The first class is slated to be Wade Boggs, Carl Crawford and the late Don Zimmer.

Zimmer will be inducted on April 2. Boggs will be honored during a pregame ceremony on July 9 and Crawford on Aug. 26.

The team also will wear their throwback Devil Rays uniforms for 14 home games, including opening day.

New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole on being swept in the AL Championship Series by Houston: “We got waxed. Anytime you get waxed, it doesn’t feel good, whether you’re going to the salon or you’re on the baseball field.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers made several moves Thursday, which included finalizing a one-year, $6.5 million deal with outfielder David Peralta. They also brought in right-handers Alex Reyes and Jimmy Nelson.

In addition, Los Angeles transferred a trio of pitchers — Walker Buehler, J.P. Feyereisen and Blake Treinen — to the 60-day injured list.

Rockies outfielder Randal Grichuk underwent sports hernia surgery just before spring training. The team said he won’t play in a game for about six to eight weeks.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani is concentrating on what could be his final season with the Los Angeles Angels and not on free agency next fall.

“This is my last year, I’m aware of this. As of now I’m an Angel and that’s all I’m focused on,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara on Thursday.

Angels manager Phil Nevin said the two-way star will be on the mound for the March 30 opener at Oakland, which Ohtani called “a great honor.” First, Ohtani will report to Japan for the World Baseball Classic.

While Ohtani said he is open to a long-term contract with the Angels, he said repeatedly he wants to focus on 2023.

MOORE: Left-hander Matt Moore and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $7.55 million one-year contract. Moore was a full-time reliever for the first time last season, going 5-2 with a five saves and a 1.93 ERA for Texas. He struck out 83 and walked 38 in 74 innings, holding opponents to a .187 batting average. Moore is 61-62 with a 4.45 ERA in 11 big league seasons for Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Texas, Detroit and Philadelphia (2021). Right-hander Davis Daniel was put on the 60-day injured list with a strained right shoulder, opening a roster spot.

CUBS: Jameson Taillon had been thinking about a new slider for a couple of years. When his new team also brought up the idea, he was more than ready to give it a shot. Taillon is working on a new sweeper slider in his first spring training since he finalized a four-year contract with the Chicago Cubs that is worth roughly $68 million. The 6-foot-5 right-hander is hoping his new version can essentially replace his previous slider. Taillon said he felt like his slider had underperformed for a while. But the COVID-19 pandemic and baseball’s labor lockout hampered his ability to try a new version.

RANGERS: New Rangers ace Jacob deGrom says the tightness in his left side is very minor. The Rangers have delayed the start of camp workouts for their prized acquisition. The right-hander’s past two seasons with the New York Mets were shortened significantly by injuries. DeGrom says he is already further ahead than normal this spring. He says he had already thrown about six times off a mound before getting to spring training, after usually only getting two or three such sessions before getting the camp.

BALLY: Commissioner Rob Manfred says Major League Baseball can produce games digitally in conjunction with MLB.TV if Bally Sports regional networks are no longer broadcasting them. He says this is a chance to address the game blackouts that inspire so much anger among fans. Diamond Sports Group is the parent company of 19 Bally Sports networks. It skipped about $140 million in interest payments due Wednesday, starting a 30-day grace period that could be the prelude to a bankruptcy filing.