Posted on 08/03/2008 7:25:35 PM PDT by lunarbicep
Sources close to the family said 68-year-old Skip Caray, the Voice of the Braves, died Sunday evening.
According to AtlantaBraves.com, The 2007 Major League Baseball season marks Skip Caray's 32nd calling games for the Atlanta Braves on TBS. In addition, Caray is also the voice of the Braves on WGST-AM (640), WUBL-FM (94.9) and the Braves Radio Network which includes WDUN News/Talk 550 in Gainesville.
In 2004, Caray was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame, along with fellow Braves announcer Pete Van Wieren. In 2000, Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell declared July 30th “Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren Day” in honor of their 25 years of broadcasting Braves games.
Caray was nominated for a 1994 Cable ACE Award in the Sports Play-By-Play category. He joined Turner Broadcasting system, Inc. (TBS) in 1972 as the voice of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and was added to the Braves telecasts in 1976. He was play-by-play announcer for the first two seasons (1990 and 1991) of TNT's Sunday night NFL coverage and served as play-by-play announcer for baseball on TBS' coverage of the 1990 Goodwill Games.
Caray served as the play-by-play announcer for NBC's Major League Baseball Playoff coverage in 2000.
Caray came to broadcasting naturally as the son of Harry Caray, the former Chicago Cubs Hall-of-Fame play-by-play announcer. Skip began his broadcasting career at KMOX-Radio in St. Louis, Mo., as host of a 15-minute high school sports show and as a sportscaster for high school basketball games. He later joined his father as a color commentator for University of Missouri football.
He began broadcasting baseball for the Tulsa Oilers of the Southern League in 1963. He also has announced for the Atlanta Crackers in baseball's Southern League and basketball for St. Louis University. He joined the NBA's St. Louis Hawks broadcasting team in 1967, moving to Atlanta with the team the following year.
Caray has called everything from Goodwill Games baseball and motoball to primetime college football and Atlanta Flames hockey.
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.
He devotes many hours to volunteer work, serving as a board member of Camp Twin Lakes, a camp for children with special needs and works with the Hemophilia Association.
Born in St. Louis, Caray is a graduate of the University of Missouri, with honors in journalism.
Skip Caray's health was declining but he still hoped to call all the Braves home games.
Skip is survived by his wife, Paula, and four children: Chip, Cindy, Shayelyn and Josh.
Rest in peace.
Oh that is so sad. I saw him on tv just the other night. He has not been in the best health lately. I grew up in Atlanta and remember when he did the Atlanta Hawks games on radio. When he was well he was a good announcer. God Bless.
Rest In Peace. This man was destroyed by TBS’ decision to cancel the Braves as the home network for the team. I remember watching the final regular season game on there last year and he was choking up with tears. Felt horrible for the man. It was like he was being tossed aside as a pile of crap.
Typical Turner Broadcasting Network move. This man dedicated his life to that network and that team. God Bless Him.
“Braves win...Braves win..Braves win...Great and memorable call in the 1992 NLCS finale. Rest in peace, Skip. We love you.
My favorite quote by him was during the Braves miracle worst to first seasons. At the end of the last game of their incredibly bad season he said “This is where we normally show you this season's highlights, but there aren't any.”
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