Caray had suffered from numerous ailments in the past several years, many of them related to diabetes and he had to curtail his schedule to just covering home games. Caray had worked for the Braves since 1976 and was the radio announcer who called the final out of the team's 1995 World Series win.
In the 80's and 90's, it was the Braves that gave my favorite team headaches. Caray always seemed to take particular relish in the Braves superiority over my beloved Dodgers. Of course, the key word in the previous sentence is "seemed"; in truth, Caray did a more than adequate job. My two requirements of a PBP man are that:
a) he is well-informed and
b) he is interested in the game.
It is shocking how many announcers making far, far more than many of us violate one or both. I never heard him call a game where he wasn't interested or where he wasn't trying to inform the listener and viewer of what was going on. Jon Miller's good and he violates both rules. Ditto Joe Buck. Caray never did. There were broadcasters I liked better but he honored his work, he honored the game and he did damn well in a profession that is much, much harder than people think. He lived a life that many wouldn't mind living.
He was my third favorite broadcaster in baseball after Vin Scully and Ross Porter.
I have a particular memory of him calling a game on TBS in which he mistakenly referred to the Braves as "we", and quickly corrected himself, saying that he is only allowed to refer to the Braves in the first person on local broadcasts. And he had an awesome voice for baseball.
5 Our memories of Harry Caray are colored significantly; he was not always a lovably senile old man. In his younger days--and for many of us, it's impossible to think of Harry Caray as younger--he was a very fine technical announcer (Bob Costas is my source for this, by the way). Given the choice between the two, having heard games called by both, I'd take Harry over Skip but both were plenty good. As for Chip... well, he's got good bloodlines.
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In the 80's and 90's, it was the Braves that gave my favorite team headaches. Caray always seemed to take particular relish in the Braves superiority over my beloved Dodgers. Of course, the key word in the previous sentence is "seemed"; in truth, Caray did a more than adequate job. My two requirements of a PBP man are that:
a) he is well-informed and
b) he is interested in the game.
It is shocking how many announcers making far, far more than many of us violate one or both. I never heard him call a game where he wasn't interested or where he wasn't trying to inform the listener and viewer of what was going on. Jon Miller's good and he violates both rules. Ditto Joe Buck. Caray never did. There were broadcasters I liked better but he honored his work, he honored the game and he did damn well in a profession that is much, much harder than people think. He lived a life that many wouldn't mind living.
Rest in peace.
hope hes up there right now having a Bud w/ his dad.
I have a particular memory of him calling a game on TBS in which he mistakenly referred to the Braves as "we", and quickly corrected himself, saying that he is only allowed to refer to the Braves in the first person on local broadcasts. And he had an awesome voice for baseball.
I remember that whole group; Caray, van Wieren, Sutton, Simpson, Ernie Johnson Jr.
Didn't remember this, though:
Erin Andrews (2001-2003), Host
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braves_TBS_Baseball
R.I.P. Skip.
May he rest in peace.
My lord, he was 2 years younger than my Dad is.
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