Tim McCarver To Retire After The 2013 MLB Season, Ending A 33-Plus Year Career In The Booth For FOX Baseball

Longtime broadcaster Tim McCarver announced Wednesday that 2013 would be his final season with FOX and as a broadcaster for MLB games, USA Today reported.

"I want to take cooking classes in Italy," said McCarver, who spoke on a conference call from his home in Napa, Calif. "And I love to read, although I know reading gets old after a while."

McCarver played for 21 years in the MLB for four different teams. He started his career in 1959 with the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he made a second stop during his career. Another team he put the cleats on for twice was the Philadelphia Phillies. He also played for the Montreal Expos and the Boston Red Sox.

The 71-year-old won three Emmy Awards during his 33-year broadcasting career. He was inducted in the broadcasting wing of the MLB Hall of Fame last year.

McCarver said he was debating on renewing his contract until he decided retirement was the right direction for him.

"I wanted to step down while I could still do the job," says McCarver. "It's not a tough call, it's not a sad thing for me. ... But I'm going to miss Joe Buck a lot.

Buck and McCarver started as broadcast partners for FOX in 1999. The duo have maintained near 15-year-run together.

"This is weird," says Buck. "I was probably (on Fox MLB at 27) before I was ready, but got through it because of Tim. ... He's someone I treasure as a great teammate" Buck told USA Today. "I don't want to do these games without Tim. But I respect his decision to step aside."

McCarver isn't sure if he wants or will be offered a role on the upcoming Fox Sports 1 cable channel. "There's no plan in place right now. I just don't know," he said. "I don't want to speculate."

Fox has left open the possibility of using McCarver on the new channel, which debuts Aug. 17. "We'll continue to do what we can to fit in his schedule," Fox Sports co-president Eric Shanks said.