Tim McCarver, a 21-year MLB veteran and longtime FOX Sports broadcaster, died Thursday. He was 81 years old.McCarver began his big-league career in 1959 with the St. Louis Cardinals at the age of 17.

He was a fixture in Major League Baseball in some capacity for over half a century.

His best years as a player came in 1966 and 1967, when he made consecutive National League All-Star teams. He was the MVP runner-up in ’67. His chemistry with Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson was legendary, as McCarver trusted the late ace no matter what.

McCarver played in three World Series and won two rings (1964, 1967), both with the Cardinals. He hit .311 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in those three series.

He went on to also play for the Phillies, Expos and Red Sox in a career that spanned 1,909 games. In Philadelphia, McCarver became the personal catcher for future Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton.

McCarver had a career batting line of .271/.337/.388, hit 97 home runs and finished his career with 645 RBIs. He is one of only 31 players ever in MLB history to play in four different decades.

After his retirement as a player in 1980, McCarver found a second career as a broadcaster, becoming one of the most notable voices in sports broadcasting. He worked for all four major networks, but spent the most time at FOX, where he was paired with legendary announcer Joe Buck on the network’s broadcasts from 1996 to 2013.

McCarver called 24 World Series throughout his career, 18 of them for FOX. Towards the end of his career, he also did multiple local broadcasts for Bally Sports Midwest, joining Cardinals broadcasts. He was a fixture at opening day festivities, and was eventually inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

In 2012, McCarver was the recipient of the Ford C. Frick award for broadcasting, becoming a special member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in the process.