Tim McCarver
In 1980 we called him Uncle Tim.
His nicely ruined American beauty.
We were in love with all Irish face.
Memphis voice calling games
knew why it rolled & how to do it all.
His fingers have more knuckles than ours.
Everyone still in love with everyone
Everyone still alive & we had uncles
we didn’t even need.
I helped a little on The Perfect Season, as Tim's co-author, Danny Peary, is an old pal of mine. I'd been at David Wells' perfect game that spring, so they picked my brain about that, & I think I maybe did some other research. It's always strange to have a strand of feeling about someone, for reasons that have little to do with them (the Irish connection in this case: Ted Berrigan & my husband, Irish amadons that I love wildly), then meet them in their real life, where you are not a strand at all, & they aren't either, not really.