''I wanted to step down while I know I can still do the job and proud of the job I've done,'' the 71-year-old McCarver said during a conference call Wednesday.I don't blame Pizz for invoking a higher power, given that I was hearing heavenly choirs of angels at the news myself and having my sometimes-shaky belief in a loving, caring God strengthened.
His health is good, McCarver said. So are his passion and energy for the game.
It was just time.
''It's not a tough call,'' he said. ''It's not a sad thing for me.''
Then there was a knock at the door, which is unusual, because Mrs. Last Honest and I don't get a lot of visitors who aren't related to us, and both of our families are currently spoken for in and around their respective homes.
So it was with some curiosity that I checked to see who was there, and it was none other than my good friend Cy Nical, the man who can find a cloud in any silver lining.
"You seem awful happy today," Cy said to me.
"Well, just a few minutes ago I saw a story that Tim McCarver was retiring at the end of the season," I replied.
"That's cool. Did it say anything about Joe Buck?"
"No, other than him saying he learned more about broadcasting from McCarver than anyone, including his own father."
"Hmmm...that's a ringing endorsement. So Buck is going to stay?"
"As far as I can tell. Assuming McCarver is telling the truth, and I have no reason to believe he isn't, it seems like this is his call to retire, so unless Buck can't stomach calling baseball with anyone else, I imagine he'll stick around."
"You see, that's part of your problem; you actually believe people. But so we're still going to be stuck with Buck. Anything about McCarver's replacement?"
"Not that I saw."
"So they could hire anyone ... F.P. Santangelo, perhaps?"
And with that, right as I began cursing him for invoking the name of the man who could make Bryce Harper unwatchable, Cy took his leave.
