a voice silenced in the night

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

a voice silenced in the night

 

 

A friend of the airwaves

his name was Skip Caray.

He was the voice of the Atlanta Braves

baseball team for thirty-three years.

 

I listened to him on

Turner Broadcast Station (on TBS for short).

every baseball season from 1979

when cable TV just came out to

2008 when he passed away this Sunday August 3 2008

in the early morning in his sleep.

 

His voice was for that era and generation,

his family has been in the broadcasting business

for three generations.

 

Starting with the legendary Harry Caray

the voice of the Chicago Cubs for a few decades.

Harry was the father of Skip

and the grandfather to Chip and Skip's other son

who are both broadcasters of baseball games

in the Braves origination.

He died in 1998 at the age of 78.

His son would die 11 years later in 2008.

He was 21 years younger then his father.

 

Two fond memories of him stand out when he did his thing

broadcasting games. One memory is when the Braves won

the World Series in 1995. He said "yes,yes, yes Braves win!"

The second and my favorite memory of Skip

is this moment forevermore etched in baseball lore.

 

Here is Skip Caray at his best. It's

the bottom of the ninth and their are two outs.

There is a runner on third and the Braves are down one run.

Sid Bream is on second and is a slow runner.

There giving Franciso Cabreera alot of room in right center field.

If he hits one there we can dance in the streets and go home.

'

"Here is the pitch. Its a hit one run is in

here comes Sid Bream a slow runner from second base

heres the threw its going to be a close play at the plate

he is safe Braves win, Braves win, Braves win Braves win."

We are going to the world series folks.

 

This moment happened in early October 1992.

I am a Atlanta Braves fans and grew up

watching them have 10 years of losing seasons.

at that time I had seen them only have one winning season.

i was so thrilled. But it was Skip's charismatic voice

that carried me throughout their seasons and the 14 years

they went to the playoffs.

 

Skip died August 3 2008. His Friends, peers,

and family Will dearly miss his wit and charm.

When calling a game he was brutally honest.

during all the losing seasons he still knew how to

entertain the listening and viewing audiences.

Skip you will sorely be missed friend.

 

I am glad you got to see the Braves win one world series and

go to five World Series and make the post season 14 years straight.

I was there listing to your voice every night.

Rest in peace my friend.

For your voice was silenced in the night.

Skip died in his sleep peacefully.

Skip you will be missed by your fans who loved you.

 

 

 

addendum:

 

this info is the exact words of skip's two most famous legendary broadcasts and info about him making a cameo in a movie.

Memorable calls

 

[edit] 1992 National League Championship Series

During Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series, Caray delivered this memorable line, as Francisco Cabrera drove in Sid Bream to win the pennant for the Braves:

 

" A lotta room in right-center, if he hits one there we can dance in the streets. The 2-1. 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!...Braves win! They may have to hospitalize Sid Bream; he's down at the bottom of a huge pile at the plate. They help him to his feet. Frank Cabrera got the game winner! The Atlanta Braves are National League champions again! This crowd is going berserk, listen! "

 

 

[edit] 1995 World Series

Caray also delivered the call for the Braves' World Series win in 1995, as Mark Wohlers got Carlos Baerga to fly out to Marquis Grissom to end the game:

 

" Mark gets the sign, the wind and the pitch here it is... swung, fly ball deep left center, Grissom on the run... Yes! Yes! Yes! The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship! Listen to this crowd! A mob scene on the field. Wohlers gets 'em one, two, three. A couple of fans rushing on the field. The Atlanta Braves have brought the first championship to Atlanta! "

 

 

[edit] Other appearances

He made his motion picture debut in the 1985 movie The Slugger's Wife, starring Michael O'Keefe, Randy Quaid and Rebecca De Mornay. Caray frequently mocked his participation in the film on-air, and referred to it as one of the worst movies ever made.

[pawn shop]

Nice tribute !

Every now and then you hear a fantastic announcer.....

In Boston, we had Johnny Most, for the Celtics radio during the Larry Bird era.

Very fun read !

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

thanks for commenting Jonathan. i heard of him. he was a good announcer. ive heard him once or twice. skip did the Atlanta hawks for several years before he became the braves announcer.

 

larsen

[Frank E Gibbard]

Hello Larsen.

This guy must have made a deep impression on you L, quite a tribute to a sports commentator (not one I follow) but you told a good story. Frank

[Aleksandra]

Yes nice tribute Vic. Many details inside and infos.

I like the expression:

 

For your voice was silenced in the night.

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Alek

[JoelJosol]

We all love sports broadcasters especially the part when we share their jubilation over a win. Love the history in the poem.

[tonyv]

Nice elegy, Vic. I like how you refer to him as "a friend of the airwaves," and how you establish the setting with dates, beginning with 1979. The title makes the reader want to read and find out more.

 

Tony

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

thanks guys for the comments. yes alek it is personal to me. yes frank i thought highly of this man. joel thank you for saying what you did. thanks tony i do want people to learn about this broadcaster.

 

cheers

victor