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 bas