I just heard the news. In fact, I haven’t even had a chance to read anything about the unfortunate tragedy. Those of us who are Braves fans are saddened today to learn of the passing of a Braves icon of more than 25 years. Skip Caray passed away this evening. Although he has been in relatively poor health for a while, I must say this took me quite by surprise.
Because of the Braves television deals, Caray came into literally millions of homes every night on cable giant TBS, giving Braves fans everywhere an insight into our favorite team. Caray spanned the terrible years of the 80s, the incredible years of the 90s, and was still going as the Braves tried to re-build in the 21st Century. His father, Harry Caray, was a legendary broadcaster in St. Louis and Chicago. Yep, he was a broadcaster for the Cardinals before going to the arch-rival Cubbies and gaining fame on WGN. Caray’s son, Chip, is a Braves broadcaster and very good in his own right. Truly, he is a Chip off the old block.
There are some interesting tidbits to think about when you think of Skip Caray and his relationship with the Braves. Even though he never donned a Braves uniform to play ball for the team, he has been around for more years than the likes of Hank Aaron, Dale Murphy, and Phil Niekro. In the broadcast booth, he has seen many quality announcers come and go, but he stayed around, doing his job with a professional quality surpassed by none.
Because of the Braves television deals, sadly, the Braves are not on television nearly as much where I can watch them due to geographic location. His humor, yet no-holds-barred truthfulness of broadcasting the events of the game and / or season will serve as an example to any ambitious broadcaster. The voice of Skip Caray will be missed, but his legacy lives on in the broadcast booth of the Atlanta Braves for years to come.
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