Baseball

Tim McCarver, the All-Star catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster who during 60 years in baseball won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals and had a long run as one of the country’s most recognized, incisive and talkative television commentators, died Thursday. He was 81.   The Erik Bakich era is set to begin, and he hopes it’s an era that marks the return of Clemson baseball to the nation’s elite. Bakich, who was named just the fourth Clemson baseball coach since 1958 last June, will make his debut at 4 p.m. Friday when the Tigers host the first game of a three-game series against Binghamton (NY) University.