Today in Philly Sports History: McCarver's Grand Slam Single, 1976

Before he was the oft-maligned baseball announcer we know him as today, Tim McCarver was a two-time all-star backstop for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 60s--even finishing second in the MVP voting in 1967. By the time he joined the Phillies for the second time in 1975, he was more of a backup (with Bob Boone being the team's primary signal-caller), used primarily by the Phillies as ace Steve Carlton's personal caddy. However, as in his professional broadcasting career, McCarver was prone to occasional on-field gaffes. The most memorable of these came on July 4th, 1976--the night of our country's bicentennial, with the Phillies in Pittsburgh for a double-header. Facing Pirates starter Larry Demery in the top of the second of the first game with the bases loaded, McCarver went yard for what is usually considered a grand slam.

Unfortunately, McCarver was a little overanxious in his excitement--hey, America doesn't turn 200 every day--and ended up passing Phillies center fielder Gary Maddox (unsure of the ball not getting caught) between first and second base, during what should have been his home-run trot. Turns out, umpires don't like it when baserunners do that, and by rule, McCarver was out, leaving him with that rare and dubious achievement, the grand-slam single. (By way of explanation, McCarver supposedly claimed "I didn't pass him, he lapped me," through "sheer speed"). Nonetheless, the Phillies took a 4-0 lead with McCarver's three RBIs, and went on to win the game 10-5, though they would eventually split the doubleheader with Pittsburgh. McCarver's blunder would go on to be a classic baseball blooper, immortalized in one of the Baseball Hall of Shame books as "Tim McCarver's Grand Sob."

The "grand-slam single" has occured two other times in baseball history--most notably in the bottom of the 15th of game five of the 1999 NLCS, when Mets third baseman Robin Ventura was prevented from scoring on his game-winning grand slam by his overzealous teammates, who smothered him in between first and second base. Ventura never touched home and was ruled out.