David McCarty

Loving husband and father, former MLB first baseman and outfielder David Andrew McCarty, 54, of Oakland, CA, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on April 19, 2024. Known for his versatility, fielding, and power threat off the bench, Dave had an 11-year major league career with seven teams, including the 2004 Red Sox during their historic championship season that would break the infamous "Curse of the Bambino."

Born in Houston, TX, on November 23, 1969, Dave excelled both athletically and academically at Sharpstown High School. Recruited in baseball and basketball, he decided to focus on baseball and picked "the farm" at Stanford University in California (BA '92), where he would meet Monica Canty, his wife of 32 years, who was attending Stanford Law School.

While at Stanford, Dave put up record numbers that would eventually land him in the Stanford Hall of Fame, including a 1991 season with a .420 batting average, 24 homers, 66 RBI, and an incredible .828 slugging percentage. Over his college summer months, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League (1989 Cotuit Kettleers) and for Team USA (1990 Baseball World Cup).

An All-American and Baseball America's College Player of the Year, Dave was the third pick in the 1991 draft by the Minnesota Twins. That marked the beginning of a 14-year journey filled with many ups and downs that that would see him play for 9 different baseball organizations and 7 major league teams over 11 seasons. The once top prospect would become a journeyman utility player who could come off the bench to play defense, provide a power-threat, and-a few times-pitch. The 6'5 right-handed batting, left-handed throwing (an unusual combination in baseball) first baseman, nicknamed "Big Mac" by his teammates, lightened the clubhouse with his sharp humor and enjoyed razzing the pitchers about his 2.45 ERA (3.2 IP, 4 SO, 1BB).

Over his career, Dave played in 630 major league games with the Minnesota Twins (1993-1995), San Francisco Giants (1995-1997), Seattle Mariners (1998), Kansas City Royals (2000-2002), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2002), Oakland Athletics (2003), and Boston Red Sox (2003-2005), posting a career average of .242 with 36 home runs, and 175 RBIs.

With a Stanford degree to fall back on, Dave was tempted to hang up his spikes many times over the years. But he stuck with it and was rewarded when he was signed by Billy Beane of the Oakland A's in 2000 during the "Moneyball" era. It rejuvenated his career. After an exceptional Spring Training with the A's, Dave was traded to the Royals where he had his most productive season with career highs in batting average (.278), home runs (12), RBI (68), and games played (103).

But the highlight of Dave's baseball career was being part of the 2004 Red Sox, who were dubbed "The Idiots" due to their infamously loose clubhouse and inventive facial hair. Down three games to none in the ALCS, the Sox mounted a historic comeback against the Yankees. They would go on to defeat the Cardinals in 4 games in the World Series, winning 8 in a row and breaking the Sox's 86-year championship drought. Dave retired from baseball in 2005 but continued to work for the Red Sox as an analyst on NESN until the 2008 season.

Dave adjusted to life after baseball with surprising ease. He joined Lee & Associates as one of the founding members of the commercial real estate firm's Oakland office in 2006. There he found the camaraderie that he'd missed from the clubhouse and a job that he loved.

While baseball was a large part of his life, the most important thing to Dave was family. With the demanding life on the road behind him, he was able to turn his four months of being a devoted, hands-on dad into twelve to his children, Reid and Maxine. The family shared a love of sports-and competition-from the ski slopes, to the swimming pool, to the golf course, to the hiking trail.

The one-time journeymen never stopped traveling. The family explored the globe together, traveling to Russia, China, Japan, Iceland, the Baltics, Europe, Greece, Mexico, Canada, and spending many weeks a year in London. Closer to home favorite spots were Tahoe, Hawaii, and frequent trips to the Disney parks.

Dave's passing comes just weeks after he and other members of the 2004 team were honored at Fenway Park as part of the 20-year anniversary of their championship season, a fitting sendoff to a man who was a champion in both sport and life.

Dave was preceded in death by his father, Dennis. He is survived by his wife, Monica, his children, Reid and Maxine, his mother, Joan, his sister, Kelly, and a large much-loved extended family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Sunflower Hill in Pleasanton, CA (a special needs housing and programs community) or The Special Olympics of Northern California, where Dave and his son Reid recently won a gold medal in a local golf competition.