It’s a sad day as longtime Braves play-by-play man Skip Caray has passed away at 68 after a long struggle with diabetes, congestive heart failure, irregular heartbeat, cirrhosis, and reduced kidney functions. The man partied hard and he paid for it. Skip was the Braves play-by-play guy since 1976, before I was even born, and it’s not a stretch to say that besides my family, there’s no voice that ’s more familiar to me. Like his dad, he never played organized baseball. He wasn’t a baseball man, he was a baseball fan. But unlike his good-natured pop, he never tried to be anything but a sarcastic, dirty-mouthed S.O.B. As he said, “I’m the wise ass in the family.” He compared his ex-wives to players he didn’t like. He once said, “the bases are loaded again, and I wish I was too.” He would say about reliever Jung Bong, “there’s another hit off the bong.” For a guy in his 60s, he was a riot to the end, and I’m sure that away from the microphone, he was over the top. Still, the man had a big heart and never crossed the line between caustic and malicious. He will be missed.
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!
Not a photoshop: sparring with Ali in 1977
TAGS: Atlanta Braves, Harry Caray, Muhammad Ali, Sid Bream, Skip Caray, TBS, WTBS
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August 5th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Bream! I know it was earlier than the play mentioned, but that “Killer B’s” Pirates Squad is one of my all time favorites. I LOVE Bobby Bo. Last legitimate chance the Bucs had at anything, pretty much.