Skip Caray

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Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr. (born August 12, 1939 at St. Louis, Missouri) is a U.S. TV and radio broadcaster for the Atlanta Braves of the National League.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Caray grew up in baseball as the son of Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray. He studied television and radio at the University of Missouri where he lettered in football as an underclassman. He began his career in St. Louis calling Saint Louis University and St. Louis Hawks basketball. Caray moved with the Hawks to Atlanta, where he also called Atlanta Flames hockey games. In 1976, he was added to the broadcast team for the Braves, a position he has held since. The Atlanta Braves Radio Network currently flagship on WGST (AM) and WUBL-FM in Atlanta.. [1]

[edit] Broadcasting Style

Skip Caray's broadcasts are characterized by his witty and sarcastic sense of humor, a personality trait that endears him to most fans, but alienates him from some. [2]. For example, during a particularly long losing streak in the 1980's, Skip declared at the start of a game against the Pittsbugh Pirates "And, like lambs to the slaughter, the Braves take the field". [3]. More recently, in a game against the Florida Marlins, the Braves had loaded the bases, to which Caray quipped, "The bases are loaded, just like [Florida manager] Jack McKeon probably wishes he was." During the 2004 season, Caray frequently made fun of Braves relief pitcher, Jung Bong, declaring every time the opposing team got a hit against him, "that's another hit off of Bong". Other frequent targets of Skip's jokes included the Montreal Expos' mascot Youppi [4], New York Mets fans, professional wrestling, and the post game B-movie frequently shown on TBS during the 1980s. In one celebrated instance, in order to get back at Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Ron Hudspeth for a critical column, Caray paid to have an airplane tow a banner above Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium during a Braves game which declared "For a good time, call Rona Hudspeth, 555-5555."[5]

In addition to his play-by-play duties, until 2004 Caray also hosted a pre-game call in show, during which he was notorious for (often in hilarious fashion) insulting on-air fans, particularly when asked rudimentary baseball questions, such as "how do you calculate E.R.A.?" or "could you please explain the infield fly rule?" [6].

[edit] Criticism

Caray is also often criticized by fans of opposing teams for being a "homer" since he frequently roots for the Braves during radio and television broadcasts. Such criticism is not entirely deserved, however, as he has criticized the Braves team or individual players for various violations of team rules, unsportsmanlike play, or lack of effort. In one such instance, during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers in June 2000, Caray, along with fellow Braves broadcasters Joe Simpson, Pete Van Wieren, and Don Sutton, were banned from Atlanta Braves team charter flights for several games after criticizing Braves catcher Javy Lopez for setting up outside the catchers box after he was caught by the umpire [7]. In an attempt to combat criticism of Caray's on-air "home team" bias and to market its baseball coverage to non-Braves fans, during the 2003 season TBS removed Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren from announcing Braves games on television. The move was strongly criticized by Braves fans, the local Atlanta media, and Braves manager Bobby Cox [8]. Over 90% of Braves fans who voted in an online poll conducted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution preferred Caray and Van Wieren to the more neutral broadcasts [9]. Ratings for the broadcasts declined sharply, and after the All Star Break, Caray and Van Wieren were returned to the booth.

[edit] 1992 National League Championship Series

During Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series, Caray delivered his most memorable line, as Francisco Cabrera drove in Sid Bream to win the pennant for the Braves:

“ Swung, line drive left field! One run is in! Here comes Bream! Here's the throw to the plate! He is...safe! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win! A mob scene! They may have to hospitalize Sid Bream; he's down at the bottom of a huge pile at the plate. They help him to his feet. Frank Cabrera got the game winner! The Atlanta Braves are National League champions again! This crowd has gone berserk, listen! ”

[edit] 1995 World Series

Caray also delivered the call for the Braves' sole World Series championship in 1995, as Mark Wohlers got Carlos Baerga to fly out to Marquis Grissom to end the game:

“ Fly ball deep left center, Grissom on the run... Yes! Yes! Yes! The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship! ”

[edit] Trivia

In 2000, NBC hired Caray to do play-by-play with Joe Morgan on the Division Series between the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics. Caray was filling in for Bob Costas, who sat out the Division Series after anchoring NBC's prime time coverage of the Summer Olympic Games from Sydney.

Caray is the father of fellow Atlanta Braves broadcaster Chip Caray; another son, Josh Caray is an announcer for the Rome Braves.

Skip Caray was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2003 alongside long time Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren [10]. He has been recognized with six Georgia Sportscaster-of-the Year awards from the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, as well as a Georgia-area Emmy award [11].

He made his motion picture debut in the 1985 movie The Slugger's Wife, starring Michael O'Keefe, Randy Quaid and Rebecca DeMornay. Caray frequently mocks his participation in the film on-air, and refers to it as one of the worst movies ever made.

Skip Caray's rather distinctive nasal voice has been parodied by former SportsCenter anchor Rich Eisen during highlights for Atlanta Braves games.

On December 18, 2006, the Braves organization announced that Caray (and partner Van Wieren) have signed three year contracts to continue doing Braves game broadcasts on their radio network. However, Caray will only be announcing ten games on TBS in the 2007 season. [12]

[edit] References

    [edit] External links

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