"So Long For Now . . . "

One of my favorite Atlanta Braves has died. No, he wasn't a player but he certainly knew all the players and taught me a lot of what I now know about the players and, along with my dad, fostered my love of Atlanta Braves baseball. My dad introduced me to him in the early 80's when I became a Braves fan. He is a legend with the Atlanta Braves and has already been inducted into their Hall of Fame. His name is Skip Caray, son of Harry Caray (famous announcer for the Chicago Cubs).

Skip began broadcasting for the Braves in 1976 and remained with them until his death this past Sunday (August 3, 2008). He could call a game unlike anyone else I've ever heard. The excitement in his voice certainly showed his love and passion for not only the game of baseball but for the Braves as well. He was as big of a fan as anyone. I loved hearing the insight he would give and the bantering back and forth between he and fellow announcers Ernie Johnson, Pete Van Wieren, Joe Simpson, and eventually Don Sutton. They were amazing together.

Today I went to the Braves website and watched clips of several amazing and exciting times in Atlanta Braves history. Skip Caray was announcing all of them and his voice just added to the excitement. As I watched Otis Nixon climb the wall and steal that homerun, Sid Bream run his heart out to get home and clinch the NL title, and then see Mark Wohlers pitch the final out to win the World Series in 95 - the level of excitement rose due to the announcing skills and heart of Skip Caray.

This season has been an incredibly disappointing one for Braves fans and I'm sure for Braves players as well. Constant and numerous injuries have plagued the team and consistency has always been just out of reach. But with the death of Skip, one has to wonder what else could happen to the team this year? Even with the disappointing season, Skip, along with the other announcers, while always providing honest commentary, also kept the hope alive that things would turn around. I know that Skip believed that. He was a TRUE fan. I'm not sure how it works with other teams, but with the Braves their announcers actually travel with the team. Though Skip wasn't traveling this year due to only announcing home games (because of health reasons), he knew the players and coaches on a personal level. Skip will be missed by the announcers, the players and coaches, and the baseball world in general. He will also be missed by the fans who have enjoyed listening to him for the past 32+ years. I was in 8th grade when I really started getting into baseball. I grew up listening to Skip - and I will definitely miss listening to him announce on tv and radio. As my dad reminded me this morning, Skip always ended his broadcast with "So long for now."

Skip Caray - you will be missed and "so long for now."