Best wishes go out to his family.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, too.

Best wishes to his family, always sad to see a man from a baseball family go.

He wasn't at his best in the last few years, but he was fun to listen to when the Braves were screwing up on the field.

VERY underrrated announcer, he had his own style and it was fun to listen to him call a game.....

He will be missed.

Well, he's not in hell, or he would have just stayed in Atlanta.

Very sad news. I grew up listening to him. I've been a Braves fan since 1977 and really enjoyed his dry and funny style. He will be missed very much.

And another piece of the childhood goes by the wayside. Skip was at his best when the Braves were at their worst in the 80s, but he was always entertaining.

He will be missed by this long-time fan. RIP.

I only found out when I moved into radar range, that he was MUCH funnier (and smart assier) on radio than on TBS. I guess maybe the suits told him to tone it down a bit for the superstation audience.

I will never forget when he threatened to kick Milo Hamilton's ass for remarks he had made about his father. Unlike today's cookie cutter announcers, Skip was never afraid to express his own opinions or display his personality. I will his dry sense of humor.

Man, that sucks.

Earlier this year, I was in the press/media/scout room in Turner Field deep in thought over a report I was writing. I heard Skip's unique voice. I guess he was working for Peachtree TV IIRC. Anyway, I was kinda giddy. I remember calling my dad and telling him that I had heard the voice that Rich Eisen used to parody in Sportscenter....Anyway, I just thought that was super cool.

Best wishes go out to his family.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, too.

Whoa, that one hit me like a brick. One of the monumental figures of the 20th century.

I'll miss 'em both.

Me too - two faves.

The one Braves announcer who didn't suck.

Sad news. I can't say he was one of my favorite announcers, but he was solid, with a subtle sense of humor. He'll be missed.

Some of my best childhood memories are of listening to Skip call games on WTBS. Watching the Braves every night in those days was always fun, no matter how bad they were. A lot of that had to do with Skip's sense of humor and distinctive style.

Skip also seemed like a genuinely good guy. He'll be missed.

Skip had a wicked, subversive sense of humor and was an awfully good announcer. He absolutely nailed the call on Cabrera's base-hit in the '92 NLCS. He will be missed.

Here's an mp3 of the Cabrera hit.

Also, anyone who caught the call-in show Skip used to do on the pregame will never forget it. He had no patience whatsoever for stupid questions. Comic gold.

Skip had a wicked, subversive sense of humor and was an awfully good announcer. He absolutely nailed the call on Cabrera's base-hit in the '92 NLCS. He will be missed.

I agree. When I first heard him, I thought he was dull (as I did the rest of the Braves' announcers). That subtle sense of humor really snuck up on me and I slowly realized how much I enjoyed listening to him. RIP Skip.

What horrible news. Skip was my favorite announcer in the game, and I grew up listening to him as the voice of the Braves. I've never been more sad about a baseball related death. I can't say that it comes as a surprise, though. He's been in horrible health for a long time now, and had several close calls over the last couple of years. Listening to him on the radio this year, it sounded like he might go at any second.

Pete and Mark didn't mention anything about it on the radio today, so I guess they didn't know either. It's nice that Chip got to spend a few years broadcasting with his dad, after he was denied the opportunity to do that with his grandpa. I hope he keeps himself in good shape.

Wow, I hadn't realized that it had been 10 years since Harry Carey had passed away, it seems much more recent. Anyway, Skip Carey was the best of the Carey trifecta and will be missed.

I liked Skip. He did his best work in the late 80s, when the Braves were really bad. Being a rather close follower of a really bad team (the Nationals), I feel pretty confident we'll never again see an announcer respond to a bad team like Skip did back then. He was perfectly comfortable conveying just how bad the Braves of those days were, whereas a bland hack of today like Bob Carpenter or Jim Hunter dutifully follows the instruction to be exceedingly positive in the face of reality (which the viewers see, at any rate).

For awhile, Skip Caray was one of my favorite broadcasters. He helped make those awful Braves teams of the seventies and eighties more tolerable, with an understated but effective style of play-by-play and a biting sense of humor. I loved how he made fun of the dreadful movies coming up on TBS after the game.

As years went by, I became less of a fan, I think in part because TBS cut back on its schedule of Braves games--to the point where they no longer do Braves baseball. (I do miss seeing those games, especially on Saturday nights.) I also heard stories of how Skip could be very difficult to work with, especially for people who worked off camera at TBS. I'm not sure how much of that was the result of his drinking, but it certainly made him less likeable for me. Still, he was a colorful guy with a unique style, one that will be missed greatly in the Atlanta area.

I used to dig his impish sense of humor...especially when it came to his subtle ragging of the small turnouts at Turner Field. RIP.

I loved how he made fun of the dreadful movies coming up on TBS after the game.

Yes, I can still hear him mocking the various Beastmaster movies.

I really liked Skip and the Braves in the Dale Murphy era. Made me a fan of the early '90s versions as well.

I first heard Skip in 1977, while on my short sojourn at UAB. The Braves sucked, he was funny ragging on them for it. I remember a late-season game at Candlestick Park where he spent 3 or so innings trying to count the house, admonishing the fans for moving or going to the bathroom because it would wreck his count. The game took forever, and it was followed by a newscast with a guy named Bill Tush. He would read a real news story, and behind him would be footage of Godzilla, or The Keystone Cops, or a cartoon. It was hilarious, surreal and way ahead of it's time.

R.I.P. Skip. I hope he liked Eisen's impression because it was spot on.

WHAT!?

The one Braves announcer who didn't suck.

Pete Van Wieren doesn't suck. And don't forget Ernie Johnson Sr. who also didn't suck. The rest? Well...

Skip, you'll be missed. Baseball won't be the same without my favorite announcer.

From his commentaries I'm pretty sure that Skip's favorite movie was Dumb and Dumber.

I remember Skip's enthusiasm in 1991. Early in the season he would end broadcasts with things like "May 12th and we're still in first place!" [The date is used for illustration and might be wrong.] That was a measure of how terrible the Braves had been, that being in first six weeks into the season was exciting, but Skip was properly excited.

My favorite Skip moment was a game against the Phillies in which the Schmidt made a routine play and Skip's subcounscious came out and referred to the play as being made by "Mike ####" [drop the c, m, and d from Schmidt's name]. The sound switched to strangled guffaws and then the microphones went off and one batter later Skip returned to say, "And the inning is over, no runs, no hits, no errors, and one mispronunciation."

I also recall Skip calling Bob Horner, "Horny". they laughed that one up, too and I, at the tender age of 11 or 12 thought it was hilarious.

Which brings home to me that I started listening to Skip right at 30 years ago, give or take a year. Which means at that point he was just about the age I am now. I'm really, really sad to hear that Skip has passed (sorry Mr. Carlin) but also sorry to realize anew that my youth preceded him in passing.

The awful Braves and Skip and Pete were a fun combination.

Braves announcers are generally obnoxious, but I liked this dude's sarcasm.

Skip was especially good for those late night west coast games, when he knew no one would be watching. His humor would really shine. It's a sad day.

I loved the way he would always keep those bad movie promos in the back of his mind, and would pull them out after some game event or comment by a co-announcer, always with great timing. That was half (if not more or) the reason to watch the games back in the 80s.

I also generally loved that he wouldn't pull punches at all, with his signature phrase "honesty compels me to report...".

My favorite Skip Caray moment was a couple years ago, may have been off the air, but CNN fed it to their affiliates on a highlights package of a Braves-Reds game.

Ryan Dempster gets completely lit up and they show him throwing stuff in the dugout. Skip Caray, under his breath, mutters "Make better pitches, you won't have that problem."

Perfect.

Stay tuned, because after the funeral will be Two Mules for Sister Sara.

/very, very sad today.

Yes, I can still hear him mocking the various Beastmaster movies.

I had completely forgotten this, but you're right. Now that you mention it, I have specific memories of him talking about Beastmaster 2 coming up next.

In the final tally, Harry and Skip will probably both be more remembered. I'm just about to turn 30, so I don't remember Harry as much of anything other than seemingly drunk and certainly rambling (albeit much less so when I was little), and while I think Chip is okay, he's wildly overrated.

Using only what I've heard of the three, Skip is miles the best.

I used to dig his impish sense of humor...especially when it came to his subtle ragging of the small turnouts at Turner Field. RIP.

He did that? He must have been totally unsubtle when ragging on the widely-scattered fans at Fulton County Stadium in the late 80s; we saw "crowd shots" evidently designed to egg him on.

Wondering if anyone has the canonical list of TBS postgame movies. I also remember "Beastmaster 2".

On an old bloopers tape I used to have, they had a hilarious Skip moment. Pretty sure it's from this game.

SCENE: Braves up 6-1 over the Giants, top of the 9th, 1 out, WILL CLARK on first, GENE GARBER pitching, JEFFREY LEONARD at the plate.

SKIP CARAY (as GARBER enters the stretch): The Magnificent Seven are up next, and will be with us as soon as Leonard hits into a 6-4-3.

GARBER winds and deals. LEONARD grounds a ball to SHORTSTOP.

SKIP: Six...

SHORTSTOP flips ball to SECOND BASEMAN.

SKIP: Four...

SECOND BASEMAN fires ball to FIRST BASEMAN, completing the double play.

SKIP: Three. Braves win. Totals and highlights are next.

Announced attendance, according to BBref, was 9,913. Sounds about right.

As I said in another place..

Larry Munson isn't too far from the end of his (long) rope. Georgia is going to be losing two of the most unique broadcasters ever (in my book at least) over the next couple years and the two voices I, and many others, grew up with.

Wondering if anyone has the canonical list of TBS postgame movies. I also remember "Beastmaster 2".

Don't forget "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". I don't think there's a single hour of the TBS programming week that wasn't occupied by "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" at least once in the 80s or 90s.

I just talked to Grandfather to make sure they knew Skip Caray died, as I know that they like watching the Braves when the Cubs aren't on, and he felt pretty bad about it. Grandpa said, "He was a friendly voice, he was funny and he never got in the way of the game, we've been listening to him for 30 years." I think that is about as big of a compliment you can give.

To anybody who is able to catch the Braves on the radio, please do so tonight. I'm sure that Pete Van Wieren will have a lot to say in tribute to Skip.

Wondering if anyone has the canonical list of TBS postgame movies. I also remember "Beastmaster 2."

Don't forget "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." I don't think there's a single hour of the TBS programming week that wasn't occupied by "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" at least once in the 80s or 90s.

And in the later years of Braves on TBS, the film changed from "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" to "Overboard." Goodbye Julie Newmar, hello Goldie Hawn.

On an old bloopers tape I used to have, they had a hilarious Skip moment. Pretty sure it's from this game.

Why is that a blooper? That's hilarious.

I pretty much grew up in NJ before I was 12. But for one year (1978) we lived in Stone Mountain, GA. We had season tickets right behind Ted Turner that year. My mother made me a Braves fan from that point forward. We watched games together on TBS for what seemed like forever. I thought the Cabrera hit was the greatest day of my life. Its still my favorite moment in my baseball viewing life. It is my favorite because of Skip Caray's call of that play. There was pure joy in his voice. Announcers are supposed to be neutral, but he let it all hang out that night. I called my mother and told her the news this morning. We both started crying. We both realized how much he had actually meant in our relationship over the last 30 years. Braves games aren't the same without him on TBS.

My favorite Braves and Caray moment from the late 70's: A September game, the Braves playing scrubs and late season call-ups. After the second out in the inning, the team starts to run off the field. Caray doesn't say anything. As the graphics come up and TBS begins to go to commercial, Caray calmly says, "I don't know where everyone is going, but there are only two outs!!!"

TBS goes to commercial anyway, and during the break the Braves come back on the field and get the third out. When TBS gets back to the game, they run replays of the entire Braves team, including the coaches and players in the dugout, who were completely clueless about how many outs there were, and how the first base umpire had to come over and order the Braves back on the field.

The last replay was the home plate umpire, at the plate with the next batter for the other team, and both of them were barely suppressing their laughter over what they just saw.

And Caray says "They are probably discussing the what the TBS movie is after the game......"

I've been unable to do it, but I should post something. Skip Caray was one of the best handful of broadcasters who ever lived. He had a real personality, not a fake radio and television personality, and he was never afraid to use it. In later years, he was only allowed to use it because he was an icon.

It's unfortunate that one aspect of that personality is the thing most responsible for his untimely death, but a person's life is the sum of all its aspects. As an historian, I talk all the time about deceased people, far more than about people who are living, and it always, somewhere deep down inside, makes me sad, even when the people in question have been gone for a hundred years, let alone forty-eight hours. I always return to the fact that I am, after all, talking about their lives. It's been said that death is stronger than art, but in the end, the opposite is true.

Lock the thread now, because there's nothing to add to that. Beautiful comment, Vaux.

Early 90s. Spring training. Radio feed from West Palm. Runner on first. Batter rolls to short:

Pete: "This might be two. Giavanola to Graffanino to Pecorelli."
Skip: "I want some pasta."

Skip: As I get to the end of my career, by the way Chip, I was thinking all winter about what I've learned in my life that I could pass along to the audience, and I've finally hit upon my legacy. No matter how hard you try, you're not going to find an electric razor that works as well as a straight razor.

Chip: Thanks.

Skip: You're welcome.

More Skip Caray Audio

I alluded to this in my intro, and almost hate to bring it up, but the end for Caray was pretty sad. Obviously, his health affected the job he did in the booth in the last couple of years. In the end he was relegated to doing Peachtree TV for the LDS last year, and has worked only sporadically this season. He was not happy about what happened last year.

I'm not saying that TBS was wrong for doing what they did; I don't watch enough Braves games nowadays to be able to comment even from a fan's perspective, so I'll leave that to others. But it was very sad to see him maginalized that way, considering all he meant to Braves baseball through thick and thin.

Braves fans had a relationship with Skip Caray longer than they did with Dale Murphy or John Smoltz. Every day, win or lose, he was there to bring you Braves baseball, and no matter how much of a joke it was, or how great it was, he did it well and I think with a sense of pride. As the end of his life approached, he deserved better than he got.

I've been unable to do it, but I should post something. Skip Caray was one of the best handful of broadcasters who ever lived. He had a real personality, not a fake radio and television personality, and he was never afraid to use it. In later years, he was only allowed to use it because he was an icon.


Let me second the thought that Skip was one of the best announcers ever to sit behind a mike. He possessed probably the best wry humor of any of them and a voice that was just right for baseball. His sense of occasion was impeccable, and his ability to feel and communicate it likewise. If you'd heard him call '79 Braves at '79 Giants before friends and family at Candlestick, you knew he'd be pitch perfect on The Hit that Broke Pittsburgh's Heart.

Skip Carey will live forever in my Braves bottle opener every time I pop a Sweetwater 420:

"Grissom on the ruuuuuuun.......yes! Yes! Yes! The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship!"

Great tribute to Skip Caray on the radio right now, listen if possible.

Listening.

I hate losing people who have made my life better.