Phillies Broadcaster Grew Up A Fan Of Rival Team

Jeff Kurkjian is in Clearwater, Florida for Spring Training 2024. He had a chance to sit down with Phillies Broadcaster Tom McCarthy, who keeps us all entertained as the play-by-play announcer for Phillies games. You know him for his iconic voice during the broadcast. You might also know him from a viral moment that happened!

On June 27th, 2014, Tom McCarthy was calling the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braces came from centerfield. L0ve when they do this because it puts our favorite broadcasters out there with the fans. They usually do it every season but nobody could have guessed what would happen on a June game in 2014.

But then this iconic moment happened. Freddie Freeman hit a ball to centerfield, right at the broadcast and he caught the ball. Then he had a tough decision to make, throw it back or keep it? Here's what happened. Still can't believe it watching all of these years later.

And went to a lot of Phillies games but actually was a fan of the rival New York Mets over the Philadelphia Phillies. We found this out when I got to talk to him at Spring Training in March of 2024. Watch our interview below.

A Mets fan!?! But I guess we can forgive him for his years working with our Philadelphia Phillies.

Tom isn't in the only McCarthy broadcaster, his son Pat has a big a Major League Baseball job too. He is the New York Mets' broadcast on WCBS 800. Here he is in action.

It is not surprised that he got the broadcasting bug. As the son of a broadcaster, I can totally understand what it feels like to follow in your father's footsteps. Phillies have high hopes this year, glad to have Tom McCarthy part of the team once again this year.

Tim McGraw made an epic entrance with the Phillie Phanatic during the NLCS Game One in Philadelphia. The country music superstar has long been known to be a Phillies fan since his dad played on the 1980 championship team.

Game one is in the books with a huge win for Philadelphia, 5-3 over the Arizona Diamondbacks. These two teams both came out of the Wild Card, the Phillies are the fourth seed and Arizona occupies the sixth seed. Now don’t sleep on the D-Backs because they completed two sweeps in the playoffs including that of the number two-seeded Dodgers.

Game 1: Monday, October 16th – 8:07 pm EST in Philadelphia (Phillies Win 5-3)

Game 2: Tuesday, October 17th – 8:07pm EST in Philadelphia

Game 3: Thursday, October 19th – 5:07pm EST in Arizona

Game 4: Friday, October 20th – 8:07pm EST in Arizona

Game 5: Saturday, October 21st – 8:07 pm EST in Arizona (if necessary)

Game 6: Monday, October 23rd – 5:07 pm EST in Philadelphia (if necessary)

Game 7: Tuesday, October 24th – 8:07 pm EST in Philadelphia (if necessary)

The Philadelphia Phillies are in their second straight National League Championship Series. Last year, they played the San Diego Padres and beat them to be awarded the title of National League Champions.

This year, they will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks who just barely squeaked into the playoffs with an 84-78 record. They are the sixth-seeded team in the National League side of the postseason bracket. That’s the seed the Phillies occupied last season.

Now despite being the last team in, don’t sleep on the Diamondbacks. They swept the Brewers (who won the NL Central) in the Wild Card Round in Milwaukee, then swept the number two-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers. SWEPT THEM. That’s impressive. They haven’t lost a game this playoff season.

But the good news is, the Diamondbacks have a worse regular season than the Phillies, so the series starts and ends in Philadelphia, home field advantage baby!!

This article was written by Jeff Kurkjian. He is the newest member of The Andie Summers Show on 92.5 XTU. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram to get to know him a bit better!

Check Out The Andie Summers Show Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/appleandiepodcast

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3pFuqxB