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I'm terrible at impersonations, my voice not fit for mimmicking anyone other than a nasaly Michigander, but for whatever reason I could pull off a decent Skip Caray. It is that unique bond, that always made me a fan. That, and Braves games were on as frequently as any team not named the Chicago Cubs.
Skip, son to the legendary Harry Caray and father to Chip, died in his sleep last night at age 68. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a great article for those who are unfamiliar with his unique personality.
He made the call when Sid Bream scored on Francisco Cabrera's pinch-hit to win the National League Championship Series for the Braves in 1992: "Here comes Bream! Here's the throw to the plate! He iiiiiiiisssssssss ... safe! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win! ... Braves win!"
And he made the call in the late innings of a lousy game in the lost season of 1979: "You have our permission to turn off the TV and go to bed now ... as long as you promise to patronize our sponsors."
Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray Jr. moved from St. Louis to Atlanta in the 1960s partly to escape the professional shadow of his father, the iconic and inimitable baseball broadcaster Harry Caray. Over the next four decades, with a style very much his own, Skip Caray became as much the voice of baseball in the Southeast as his father had been in the Midwest.
Like his father, Skip Caray always kept himself well "hydrated" throughout his broadcasts. It wasn't uncommon back in the "good ol' days" to help himself to many cold ones. Caray gave up alcohol in 2000 after he learned of his declining health, but once offered up this line during a Braves broadcast last season while the bullpen was blowing yet another lead:
"The bases are loaded again, and I wish I was, too."
With the passing of another announcing legend, it makes me all the more motivated to tune into Vin Scully and Harry Kalas. They're the heart and soul of what baseball and link many generations together.
Braves announcer Skip Caray dies [AJC]
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