Buck and McCarver: “Pitching will decide the All Star Game.”

No broadcast team in sports television history has done more Major League Baseball All Star Games than the Fox Sports team of Joe Buck and Tim McCaver. Tuesday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET, from Citi Field in New York, the duo will call their the 16^th and final All Star Game together for Fox. Earlier this year McCarver announced that he would retire after doing the 2013 World Series.

During a conference call this week I had a chance to talk with Buck and McCarver about their All Star Game memories. We also talked about who they expect to will the Mid Summer Classic.

JW: Who has the advantage going into this year’s All Star Game?

McCarver:  “If either side has an advantage it’s the National League because they have seven left-handed pitchers and the American League only has three. Having that many left-handers can allow manager Bruce Bochy to go one-on-one with certain left-handed hitters late in the game, and that is an advantage.”
 Buck:  “Like the last handful of years, the American League lineup on paper is better than the National League’s, but that hasn’t mattered the last few years. It goes back to who has the off night on the mound.”

JW: What are some of your favorite All Star memories?

McCarver as a player: “The team in 1966 had Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron hitting one through three in the lineup and Sandy Kofax pitching in his last All-Star Game start.  Tony Perez won the 15-inning game in 1967 and Tom Seaver finished it. I faced Tom Seaver for about 13 years after that game and I don’t think I ever saw him throw any harder.  He was young, strong as a bull and my hand hurt for about two weeks after that. That’s a fact.“
McCarver as a broadcaster: “The 15-inning game in Yankee Stadium to send the Grand Old Lady on her way in 2008 was just a tremendous game, the longest game in All-Star Game history. We were on the edge of our seats, as I’m sure a lot of fans were throughout. That game as a whole stands out to me because of the venue. The old Yankee Stadium.  That game was the most enjoyable and the longest of all our games. It sure didn’t seem like the longest as it was so exciting.”

Buck on the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston: “The Ted Williams moment at Fenway Park. Both Tim and I were stranding in the booth as Ted Williams was making his way around the warning track and in the strongest motion took the cap off of his head and lifted it up to the fans.  Our producer was telling me to talk and I couldn’t speak. I was so choked up. Thank god I didn’t because Tim and I would’ve ruined the moment. It was so powerful and to also be quiet and let the natural audio of Ted Williams talking to Tony Gwynn and Mark McGuire and the other guys who just naturally congregated around him. That happened organically and we stayed with it.  We were supposed to go to a commercial break and it was one of the great calls by a great producer in Mike Weisman to stay with that moment.  Had we gone to commercial that moment after the ceremonial first pitch would have been on replay but instead we got it live.”
McCarver on ’99: “I think that emotion then carried through to the game  as Pedro Martinez started that game and struck of five of the six hitters he faced. It was a phenomenal performance on a phenomenal night.”