The Dugout: If He Hits One There, We Can Dance in the Streets

Posted Aug 05, 2008 6:15PM By Jon Bois (RSS feed)

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Skip Caray, longtime radio and television voice of the Braves, passed away Sunday.

There was no better place and time for a baseball fan than Atlanta during the 1990s. There are several reasons for this, but Skip's contribution to those halcyon days cannot be overstated. He called Sid Bream's slide, Otis Nixon's catch, and Marquis Grissom's Series-clinching grab. Those of us who remember him best, though, appreciated him for other reasons.

The man knew so much about baseball that he grew bored. Once, without provocation, he turned to his booth mate and asked, "How are our governmental relations with Spain? Do you happen to know?" He would sometimes relate traffic reports or insult whichever poor fan happened to be within the idle shot of a television camera. He endlessly harped on pitcher Jung Bong and delivered family-unfriendly word plays. I'm sure your favorite broadcaster loves the game of baseball. But my favorite broadcaster expressed his love for it with the sort of genuine, subtle, creative, grumpy manner that we would not have otherwise heard.

I'll continue to use the word "baseball" to describe this game, but when Skip Caray was with us, it meant something just a little bit different to me.

Today's Dugout is after the jump.

The Dugout

	OnlineHost Welcome to the Mansion of Heaven chat room.
	StPeter: Hold up a second. You can't just walk in. You must first hear your sins before you are allowed through these gates.
	Skip: Oh. Okay.
	StPeter: /flips through pages Ummmmumumumummm One time, while on air, you called Pete Van Wieren a "dork" for confusing Donald Duck and Daffy Duck.
	StPeter: That's it. You may pass.
	Skip: Thanks. /enters gate
	OnlineHost Last call for Flight 309 to Atlanta Braves concourse. Departure in five minutes.
	Skip: oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap /jogs to terminal
	Skip: /presses face against glass, watches plane lift off
	Skip: Damn it!
	ThatOlivaMark: ...Skip? Skip Caray?
	Skip: Jose Oliva! I was hoping I'd run into you up here!
	ThatOlivaMark: Need a ride, huh? Come on, my car's in the lot.
	OnlineHost Later...
	Skip: /opens car door I really appreciate the lift.
	ThatOlivaMark: No problem.
	Skip: ...and you know? It figures that the plane leaves without me. It really figures.
	Skip: One time I was critical of Javy Lopez. The Braves office punished me by taking off on the charter flight without me.
	ThatOlivaMark: Yeah, I get your broadcasts up here. You've referenced it like 900 times.
	Skip: Yeah, can you believe that? It's ridiculous! Is that why it just happened to me up here? Is Heaven some sort of condensed repeat track of the life I experienced on Earth?
	ThatOlivaMark: Let it go, I guess, right? I mean, I stopped and gave you a ride. On Earth, I died because I stopped to give someone a ride.
	ThatOlivaMark: You've got a long time up here, man. A long time. More than enough to reconcile yourself with the conflicts of your life.
	ThatOlivaMark: So procrastinate a little, huh? Enjoy it up here. Say hello to some friends.
	ThatOlivaMark: Just-- hey, just do me one favor.
	Skip: sigh
	ThatOlivaMark: You know what I'm going to ask.
	Skip: oh fine "And the inning, ih-ih-ih-ih-ihs over!"
	ThatOlivaMark: hahaha! That's it, that's it!
	Skip: /grumbles, steps out of car /takes elevator up
	Skip: /looks around, sees note on coffee table /reads
	Skip: "Hello, and welcome to your spacious new living quarters! This fully-furnished apartment features a master bedroom, two walk-in closets, two full bathrooms, and direct outdoor access!"
	Skip: Huh. /opens door
	OnlineHost The door opens to the TBS press box of a baseball stadium. The entire park appears to be empty.
	Skip: /sits at broadcast chair So this is it, huh? This is it.
	Skip: . . . God I'm bored.
	OnlineHost A figure can be seen waving from the WGN press box, on the other side of the stadium.
	Skip: /squints
	Harry: /grins
	Skip: whoa WHOA HEY DAD HEY OVER HERE
	Harry: /waves
	Skip: oh man this is so great
	Skip: /picks up telestrator, draws goatee on father
	Harry: /menacingly brandishes telestrator pen
	Skip: COME ON, WHAT YOU GOT OLD MAN
	Harry: /sits down to draw devil horns on Skip
	Skip: ahahaha wheeeee

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-05-2008 @ 8:14PM

Adam Jacobi said...

Must be Braves-Cards. If there's one thing I learned from Steve Goodman, it's that there can't possibly be a Cubs game in heaven.

8-05-2008 @ 9:22PM

Mark said...

At the risk of revealing my Braves' ignorance, who is the player "ThatOlivaMark?"

8-05-2008 @ 11:02PM

SmoothJimmyApollo said...

This was pretty touching.

8-06-2008 @ 2:36AM

Sam said...

wow, that was really touching. Thanks a lot. I wasn't a Braves fan, but I knew about both Carays. I loved the ending.

8-06-2008 @ 3:10AM

Five Tools Playa said...

Thanks, Jon. Over the years, of course I hear about the passing of various broadcasters, but this is the first time it's been one of my guys...and it sucks. "And of course, "when Skip Caray was with us, it meant something just a little bit different to me" rings true for me too.

8-06-2008 @ 12:30PM

TomahawkFlop said...

And St. Peter will be with you as soon as Andres Thomas hits into a 6-4-3 double play. 6...4....3...St Peter, Skip's all yours. Thanks for the memories Skip. Now you can bash Javy Lopez all you want.

8-06-2008 @ 12:41PM

Jeffrey Leonard, not Andres Thomas.

8-06-2008 @ 9:21PM

scotchr said...

Mark, search for Jose Oliva on Google.

8-07-2008 @ 12:37PM

wite said...

great touch Jon. Well done. Funny and a good send off. RIP Skip.

I hope though, as years go by and as years become near for Hawk Harrelson, that you recall his homerism/senility in his later years and you meet him and the Caray's up in a situation much the same. Though, if you'd bring up a situation in, oh, roughly the mid 80s when Harry was still with the Sox and pulled a PUNK'D episode, that'd be even awesome-er. I hope it doesn't come within 5 years, but Hawk's pretty crazy bad at these points.

Oh, and as a Sox fan, if you mentioned the "STRETCH" call he does right before a ball he thinks is hit is about to be a homer now a days but 75% of the time comes up before the warning track, that would be awesome.

much love and a constant reader,
wite

8-08-2008 @ 12:58PM

1984ever said...

Whoa. That ending gave me "Field of Dreams"- level chills. Loved it.

(but it would've been even better if you'd shown the telestrations on their avatars. just sayin.)

8-08-2008 @ 5:43PM

Terry said...

Like Skip, I grew up in St. Louis, and like Skip, I learned about baseball from his father. I loved the image of both of them in Heaven's ballpark.

You left out the part where someone in heaven asks Skip to explain the infield fly rule.

Thanks for the memories.

8-12-2008 @ 1:14PM

cubamex2003 said...

As good as Skip was on baseball he was even better when the Hawks arrived in Atlanta.. I will never understand why he was taken off doing basketball.. Jealousy are envy are the only words that come to mind...Skip..wherever you are.. may God be with you...

8-16-2008 @ 3:01PM

braveshawksfan said...

I will always remember Skip for his trademark saying when then the Hawks had the game in hand, "It's cocktail hour." Well Skip, this one's for you.

8-17-2008 @ 12:30PM

LWells2000 said...

I remember in the 70's when my favorite Braves' sportscaster Milo Hamilton was replaced by upstart Skip Cary. I got so mad I cried. I cried again last Sunday.