Baseball Twitter reacts to death of former MLB catcher, television announcer Tim McCarver at age 81: "Huge loss for baseball" "A class act" 

Tim McCarver, who carved out a baseball career spanning four decades before becoming one of the game's top broadcasters, died Thursday at age 81.

McCarver began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 and won two World Series titles with the organization in 1960s. He was Hall of Famer Bob Gibson's backup of choice with the Cardinals before also going on to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos, and Boston Red Sox. His playing days ended in 1980 as a member of the Phillies.

McCarver's broadcasting career began in Philadelphia as his days as a player neared an end. He also worked locally with channels carrying the New York Mets and Yankees, as well as the San Francisco Giants. However, it was his national work with all four major U.S. television networks that brought him into homes from coast to coast.

Tim McCarver called his first World Series game for ABC in 1985, filling in for legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell. Due to the controversy surrounding his book "I Never Played the Game," Cosell was removed from the telecast. McCarver was a World Series regular from then on.

As with most media personalities, McCarver had both his proponents and detractors. Many thought him to be too much of a "homer" when working games involving his beloved St. Louis Cardinals, while others found him a passionate and insightful voice no matter what teams he was covering.

One thing is for certain, Tim McCarver lived a lot of baseball -- and he brought it to life for millions of others. In addition to broadcasting baseball, McCarver also worked for the Olympic Games for both ABC and CBS in 1988 and 1992, respectively.

Tim McCarver beloved in St. Louis and Philadelphia

Former Philadelphia Phillie Tim McCarver walks off the mound after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals

Tim McCarver, born on Oct. 16, 1941, in Memphis, Tennessee, played his first eight major-league games while still just 17 years old. He didn't play much major-league ball in his first three years with the Cardinals, logging just 40 big-league games from 1959-1961.

However, in 1963, McCarver became St. Louis' main catcher until he was traded to Philadelphia prior to the 1970 season. He would serve two stints with both the Cardinals and Phillies, and both towns consider him one of their own to this day.

In a 21-year major league career, McCarver batted .272 with 66 home runs and 453 RBIs.