Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray

Sunday, August 3, 2008 by SDRadio.

Long time and noted broadcast vet.

Skip Caray has died at the age of 68, the Braves announced today. The son of legendary Harry Caray, and the father of an upcoming announcer, Josh.

Skip became famous nationwide when then WTCG started broadcasting Atlanta Braves baseball via satellite. The Channel 17 moniker and wacky programming included repeat broadcasts of the baseball game, even when the Braves were in the bottom of the division. Soon, the club was called “America’s Team” as the broadcast team included Pete Van Wieren.

This was Skip’s 33rd year of broadcasting for the Atlanta team.

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From the Braves:

The Atlanta Braves are sad to report the passing of longtime broadcaster and friend, Skip Caray. Caray died in his sleep earlier today at his Atlanta home.

“Our baseball community has lost a legend today,” said Braves President John Schuerholz. “The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children.”

This season marked the 33rd year Caray had been calling games for the Atlanta Braves, a majority of which were for TBS, which gave Caray a national audience and fan base.

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 was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2004 with his longtime broadcast partner Pete Van Wieren.

He devoted many hours to volunteer work, serving as a board member of Camp Twin Lakes, a camp for children with special needs and worked with the Hemophilia Association.

Born in St. Louis, Caray was a graduate of the University of Missouri, with honors in journalism. Skip is survived by his wife, Paula, and four children; Chip, Cindy, Shayelyn, and Josh and seven grandchildren.

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