Clem McCarthy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clem McCarthy
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McCarthy in 1948.
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| Born | September 9, 1882 |
| Died | June 4, 1962 (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Radio Announcer |
Clem McCarthy (born September 9, 1882 – died June 4, 1962) was a famous American sportscaster. He was known for his unique, deep voice and exciting way of announcing sports. He worked as a public address announcer and also narrated newsreels for Pathe News and RKO.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Clem McCarthy was born Charles Louis McCarthy in East Bloomfield, New York. His father bought and sold horses, which meant young Clem often visited horse fairs and race tracks. This gave him a lot of experience around horses.
Clem wanted to become a jockey, which is a horse rider in races. But he grew too tall for that job. Instead, in the 1920s, he started writing about horse racing in Southern California.
A Career in Sports Announcing
Clem McCarthy is remembered as one of the greatest announcers for horse racing. He helped set the standard for many famous race callers who came after him.
He was also the very first public-address announcer at a major American racetrack. This happened at Arlington Park in Illinois in 1927, when a new sound system was installed.
Calling Famous Boxing Matches
Besides horse racing, McCarthy was also a top announcer for boxing. One of his most famous calls was the 1938 boxing match between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. He described the exciting moment when Louis won:
- Louis, right and left to the head, a left to the jaw, a right to the head, and [referee Art] Donovan is watching carefully. Louis measures him. Right to the body, a left up to the jaw, and Schmeling is down! The count is five! Five, six, seven, eight -- the men are in the ring! The fight is over, on a technical knock out. Max Schmeling is beaten in one round!
Calling Famous Horse Races
Later in 1938, he called the legendary race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Seabiscuit was not expected to win, but he surprised everyone by beating the favorite, War Admiral. McCarthy's call of the final moments of that race became very famous.
A Memorable Mistake
In 1947, McCarthy made a rare mistake while calling the Preakness Stakes. A group of people standing on a platform blocked his view of the track. At that exact moment, two horses with similar racing silks (the jockey's uniform) switched places. This made him call the wrong horse as the leader for a moment.
Just like another famous announcer, Chic Anderson, who made a similar mistake later, McCarthy quickly admitted his error. Because he was honest and humble about it, people didn't criticize him for long. Years after he passed away, a filmmaker found that McCarthy had actually said, "...and the crowd blocks me for a moment..." right when the horses switched. This showed he knew something was wrong.
Early Radio Work
McCarthy's career also included working at local radio stations. He started at KYW in Chicago in 1928. After that, he moved to WMCA in New York City.
Personal Life
In 1929, Clem McCarthy married Vina Smith, who was a vaudeville actress. They did not have any children. They stayed married until Vina passed away in 1954.
In 1957, McCarthy was seriously hurt in a car accident. In his later years, he also suffered from Parkinson's disease.
Death
Clem McCarthy passed away on June 4, 1962.
Recognition and Legacy
Clem McCarthy's amazing career was honored after his death.
- In 1970, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association added him to their Hall of Fame.
- In 1987, the American Sportscasters Association also inducted him into their Hall of Fame, alongside another well-known announcer, Jim McKay.
Recordings
In 1962, an LP record called Clem McCarthy, the Voice of American Sports was produced. This allowed people to listen to his famous calls.
