Zoneboy
08-03-2008, 11:40 PM
Link (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=441791)
Skip Caray died in his sleep early Sunday at his Atlanta home, the Atlanta Braves announced. He was 68.
Caray died less than a week before his 69th birthday. He battled multiple illnesses related to diabetes in recent years.
The son of Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray and father of current Braves and national TV announcer Chip Caray, he was the voice of the Braves for 33 years. Most of his time was spent as the Braves' lead play-by-play man on Superstation TBS, where he gained a national audience.
"Our baseball community has lost a legend today," Braves president John Schuerholz said in a release on the Braves' website. "The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children."
Caray was one of a number of national sports broadcasters to begin his career at KMOX-AM in St. Louis. Others include Joe Buck, John and Dan Kelly, all sons of broadcasting icons, plus Dan Dierdorf and Bob Costas.
Caray's father was doing St. Louis Cardinals games on KMOX, and Skip began doing a 15-minute high school sports show and prep basketball games.
That assignment grew, and he did games for the St. Louis Hawks before the NBA franchise moved to Atlanta. He also did color commentary for Missouri Tigers football games alongside his dad. He followed the Hawks to Atlanta.
Skip Caray began doing Braves games in 1976.
His trademark was his quick, sharp wit and humor. He wasn't as boisterous as his legendary father, but he was renowned for his own style of enthusiasm.
Born in suburban St. Louis, Caray graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism with honors.
In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by children Cindy, Shayelyn and Josh, and seven grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later, according to the Braves.
"I'm just in shock," Chip Caray told MLB.com. "I know he wasn't feeling good, but this was unexpected. He hung the moon for me. I got to talk to him [on Saturday], and the last thing I got to say to him was, 'I love you.' "
Skip Caray missed part of last season because of health problems.
When he returned to broadcast games at the beginning of this season, he talked about his near-death experience and said that he was happy to at least have an opportunity to return to the baseball world that had provided so much to himself and his family.
"I'm 68," Caray said on April 2. "If I go tonight, I've had a hell of a life."
Skip Caray died in his sleep early Sunday at his Atlanta home, the Atlanta Braves announced. He was 68.
Caray died less than a week before his 69th birthday. He battled multiple illnesses related to diabetes in recent years.
The son of Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray and father of current Braves and national TV announcer Chip Caray, he was the voice of the Braves for 33 years. Most of his time was spent as the Braves' lead play-by-play man on Superstation TBS, where he gained a national audience.
"Our baseball community has lost a legend today," Braves president John Schuerholz said in a release on the Braves' website. "The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children."
Caray was one of a number of national sports broadcasters to begin his career at KMOX-AM in St. Louis. Others include Joe Buck, John and Dan Kelly, all sons of broadcasting icons, plus Dan Dierdorf and Bob Costas.
Caray's father was doing St. Louis Cardinals games on KMOX, and Skip began doing a 15-minute high school sports show and prep basketball games.
That assignment grew, and he did games for the St. Louis Hawks before the NBA franchise moved to Atlanta. He also did color commentary for Missouri Tigers football games alongside his dad. He followed the Hawks to Atlanta.
Skip Caray began doing Braves games in 1976.
His trademark was his quick, sharp wit and humor. He wasn't as boisterous as his legendary father, but he was renowned for his own style of enthusiasm.
Born in suburban St. Louis, Caray graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism with honors.
In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by children Cindy, Shayelyn and Josh, and seven grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later, according to the Braves.
"I'm just in shock," Chip Caray told MLB.com. "I know he wasn't feeling good, but this was unexpected. He hung the moon for me. I got to talk to him [on Saturday], and the last thing I got to say to him was, 'I love you.' "
Skip Caray missed part of last season because of health problems.
When he returned to broadcast games at the beginning of this season, he talked about his near-death experience and said that he was happy to at least have an opportunity to return to the baseball world that had provided so much to himself and his family.
"I'm 68," Caray said on April 2. "If I go tonight, I've had a hell of a life."