ST. LOUIS — The baseball season culminates with the World Series and the guys who will be calling it on television for a record 14th consecutive season together are in good form after battling health issues this year.
Play-by-play man Joe Buck had a vocal-cord problem that affected his voice so much that he has taken singing lessons to improve his range. And analyst Tim McCarver had a heart procedure 13 days ago. Both are rarin’ to go now for Fox’s coverage of the Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers that opens tonight.
Buck, who is the Fox network’s lead football and baseball broadcaster, developed the ailment shortly after calling the Super Bowl last winter. Although he hasn’t missed any assignments, he has had a lengthy recuperation process to get his intonations at full force, especially when he has to rise to the top to call dramatic game-changing plays.
“That whole issue is behind me for the most part,” he said Tuesday. “I feel stronger every day. . . . It’s just been more rapid here recently. I feel like I’ve finally turned the corner.”
McCarver said his annual physical exam revealed a possible heart abnormality.
“It’s a nonissue now, it wasn’t a nonissue when I had my tests,” he said. “It wasn’t a big scare, but it was in that category. I wouldn’t calling it alarming, but it was what looked like a malfunction inside. But it turned out not to be the case.”
He had an angioplasty procedure Oct. 6 and was not allowed to travel for a few days, causing him to miss Fox’s coverage of the first two games of the American League title series. But he was back for the finish.
“I feel fine,” he said Tuesday.
Starters on deck.
Rangers manager Ron Washington announced Colby Lewis will start Game 2 on Thursday night. He’ll go against the Cardinals’ Jaime Garcia.
The rest of his World Series rotation is still to be determined, but Washington felt comfortable pitching Lewis after Game 1 starter C.J. Wilson because that’s the way it’s been most of the year.
“With him and C.J. back to back, it worked all year, and we finally got back to that 1-2 punch,” Washington said.
Layne starts behind the plate
NEW YORK — Umpire Jerry Layne has been named crew chief for the World Series. Layne will be working his second Series and will be behind the plate for Game 1.
The six-man crew announced includes two umpires working their first Series: Greg Gibson and Ron Kulpa.
Regular-season crew chief Gary Cederstrom, Ted Barrett and Alfonso Marquez will also be making their second World Series appearances.
Denver Post wire services
