Voices of Summer: Ranking Baseball's 101 All-Time Best Announcers (59 page)

"I always wanted to play baseball," said the 6-foot-0, 185-pound righty,
growing up in Michigan. He heard Heilmann and Patrick, haunted Briggs
Stadium, and craved second base. "Charlie Gehringer's old position. I
couldn't wait to play there."

In 1962, his Michigan team won the NCAA title. Class of '64 made the
Tigers, hitting .102 from 1967 to 1969. In 1970, Campbell soared to .219
in San Diego. "Just call me Babe. Things fell from bad to worse." One year he
managed 12 home runs and 40 RBI; another, went 2 for 23. "I made $7,000
my first year, and $ 26,000 tops. Part was the time, part my skill."

Dave played six positions, twice had achilles tendon surgery, and joined
the Cards and Astros. By 1974, a Splengarian descent ended his career. "Here I am, 32, what do I try?" he said, retiring with a .213 average. First, San
Diego TV. Then, Texas League Amarillo, managing. In 1978-79, Giants and
Padres radio, respectively.

In 1984, Tony Gwynn won his first batting title, San Diego took the pennant, and Dave aired the Series on flagship KFMB. "My tan loses a little on
radio. Maybe I should stick to television."

Instead, he began a post-game and baseball history show, created the board
game "Extra Bases," and added San Diego State hoops and football. Gehringer's
nickname was "The Mechanical Man." Campbell became a juggernaut-until
the Padres junked him in late 1988.

"My career here is a closed book," he said, perplexed by the firing. Pages of
local-paper letters wanted it reopened. Owner Joan Kroc refused: in 1990,
Dave joined ESPN's six-game-a-week schedule. "I liked it, but we had too
much time." CEO Roger Werner called baseball "a substantial loss leader."
Coverage waned to "Sunday Night Baseball" and aWednesday doubleheader.

Many Voices vanished. Campbell ballooned: "Baseball Tonight"; "Sports
Center" pre/post-season analysis; Wednesday, playoff, and Triple-A World
Series color. He also called the 1994-97 Colorado Rockies. "Every home
game was a sellout"-and potential conflict with ESPN.

DAVE CAMPBELL

In 1998, Dave repaired solely to Bristol. "Only so much time in a day for
the important things"-like rays. Just between us: "Baseball Tonight" bound
coverage. "I can't imagine being a fan," said Bush, soon taping it at the White
House, "and not seeing this every day."

Today Karl Ravech anchors. Peter Gammons, John Kruk, and Harold
Reynolds add tale and view. A constant is Campbell, still heard irregularly.
He and the tan endure.

SHIP CARAY

Early Wynn knocked his grandmother down to win, making hitters cry
uncle. Depending on your view, he was a son of a bitch, the mother of competitors, or no kissin' cousin. Nepotism is a way of baseball life.

Jack Buck begot Joe. Marty Brennaman helped son Thom. In 1991, three
generations of Carays called a game. Making history, Harry kicked himself.
"If I'd had sense enough before I was born to nickname myself Flip, we'd'a
had Flip, [grandson] Chip, and [son] Skip"-the Singing Carays, for your
watching and listening pleasure.

"Having a father in the business was a help and curse. Some people didn't
like dad. Others opened doors," Skip said. At first it bothered him-coasting
on pop's cocktails. He even thought of changing the last name. "Chances are,
I wouldn't have gotten a job if I weren't Harry's son. I also knew, because of
that, I'd have to be even better."

It was a trade Skip had not considered as a child.

"I didn't want to call sports," growing up in and around St. Louis. "I wanted
to play 'em," and did, as an all-city high school linebacker. Caray then hurt
his knee. Suddenly, the booth beguiled. The "soprano, back then" began a
radio show. At the University of Missouri, he worked each summer as a
KMOX writer, director, and producer.

In 1963, Skip joined Texas League Tulsa, then Triple-A Atlanta
Crackers. As we have seen, WSB Atlanta beamed the not-yet-marching-to
Georgia 1965 Braves. That May, Voice Mel Allen's mother died. "Given my
Atlanta experience," Caray said, WSB asked him to sub. A cup of coffee
denotes a brief bigs stay. Sipping, Skip then cracked the NBA St. Louis
Hawks.

In 1968, both moved to Atlanta: "Best thing that ever happened. I got my own identity. Finally I stopped being Harry's kid." Soon Skip occupied a
world of hoops, hockey, and football, chucking raw kid for stardom. The star
he wished upon was baseball. Irony reached it.

In 1954, Jack Buck joined the Cards. Boss Harry sent Milo Hamilton
packing. From 1966 to 1975, the Braves' Voice was too busy to settle
scores. Milo was then axed again. Carayfils replaced him! "I'm not goodlooking or a threat to Twiggy," he said. Added Ernie Johnson: "It was interesting how fans reacted. People expected Skip to be Harry." They were
soon disabused.

Harry roared. Skip intoned. Senior could drink dry a saloon. Junior
gently mused about "cocktail hour" in Atlanta. In one way, they knit. "The
worst call by a major league umpire in fifty years," Skip raged. "[Ed] Vargo
should be fired because he made all umpires look had." You could see pop
beaming.

"I didn't set out to be different," said the son, more reflexively than
defensively. "My dad was an orphan, a self-made man, more elemental as a
broadcaster. We're just not the same human being"A larger concern was that
his Braves and aptitude seemed strangers in the night.

In 1977, Caray added WSB Radio to WTCG TV. Celebrating, the Braves
lost 17 straight games. Once San Diego's Gene Richards broke for second
base. The catcher's throw hit Buzz Capra in the head, bounced high, and
knocked the pitcher to the ground. "Capra was a friend and I was afraid he
might be dead," said Skip, "but it was so typical of our team that I started
laughing."

Later, Atlanta hosted Philly-and All-Star Mike Schmidt. "Here's the
pitch," said Caray. "Bouncing ball to third. Schitz is up with it, and throws to
first. In time." Red-faced, he went to break. "Skip, who plays third for
Philadelphia?" Ernie began next inning. Laughter got them through a lot.

Phil Niekro won 318 games. Said brother Joe: "That knuckler got anybody out" except Dave Parker. At dinner, Phil asked, "How do I get Parker
out? My knuckler's not working."

"Forget the knuckler," Skip said. "Throw your blooper and see what
happens."

Twice Niekro knuckled: Parker lined out and singled. Next up, Phil
threw a blooper after waving to the booth. Dave hit it 400 feet. His final atbat went 390.

"Phil takes my advice, Parker bombs two balls 800 feet, and both are
caught!" said Caray. "I still say, `I told you so."' For too long, Georgia said that
about its team.

Niekro became aYankee, then Indian. The Braves could have used him July 4,
1985: Mets, 16-13, ending at 3:55 A.M. Fireworks began at 4:01-"so late,"
laughed Skip, "many thought the city was under attack." The 1987-90 Braves
dredged last. "Loosen up," he told partner Billy Sample. "We might be the
only team in history not to win a game all season." Caray recalled '82: Where
had the dream gone wrong?

"That year I got cheered in a restaurant or grocery store. Now if I put
on shades, I can slink into Kroger's unnoticed." TSN, among others,
noticed: "He is perhaps America's most prominent baseball announcer,"
available on WTBS TV in 63 million homes 130 times a year. "The Braves
[even losing] have developed a loyalty among many fans regions distant
from a major-league team."

They heard: "Guys ask how to crash broadcasting. `Hit .350 or win the
Heisman"'; in "attendance, Sam Scoresby and LindaYavnov,"the brand of scotch
and vodka, respectively, in the Braves lounge bar; about a standing 0 for Skip at
a college basketball game. In San Francisco, he lunched with a friend of his
wife's. "`That's not your wife,' a stranger told me. `I caught you. I hear you
talking about her onTV.'That was the first time I realized cable's impact."

In 1991, son Chip joined Atlanta-the first bigs Voice's radio or TV
grandson. "How overprotective is telling your kid to be quiet?" said pop.
More history: the troika's game. "They had a news conference at Dad's
restaurant. We went to Wrigley Field in a limo. For the first time I felt like a
rock 'n' roll star-mikes in your face, dumb questions" except for one: Were
the Braves the Decade's Team?

The '91ers met Minnesota in a worst-to-first World Series. In Game
Seven, Lonnie Smith's single began Atlanta's eighth inning. Terry Pendleton
then found an alley. Decoyed by infielders Greg Gagne and Chuck
Knoblauch, Smith slowed, stopped at third, and died: Twins, 1-0, in 10.
Even the "Tomahawk Chop" chant seemed weary. Sadly, it revived.

Yin: team's past. (K-ing batter 1,000, Charlie Leibrandt forgot to call
time, rolled the ball to the dugout, and let a runner take second.) Yang: 1992
L.C.S. Game Seven's ninth inning, three on, two out, 2-1, Pittsburgh. "My
biggest thrills have been my kids' successes in Little League or school events," said Skip. "Professionally, it's easy. Frank Cabrera," singling to plate
David Justice and Sid Bream: Braves, 3-2.

As Bream slid, people in the booth began pounding Skip on the back.
He never knew it. "I didn't feel it, my concentration calling the play was
total. All I knew was Frank's hit meant the pennant." Stick a fork in him.
He's numb.

The Braves lost the Classic, 4 games to 2. The finale again drained. "Eleventh
inning, we're behind [4-3,Toronto]," Caray looked back. "Otis Nixon makes
out bunting-the tying run's on third!" Yin and yang: Atlanta dropped the
1993 L.C.S.; in 1995, it finally took a Series. "Fly ball, deep left-center!" Skip
roared on radio. "Grissom on the run! Yes! Yes! Yes! The Atlanta Braves have
given you a championship!"

TV as connecting tissue: the Chip off Skip's block "He got the looks in
the family"-left Seattle for Fox's "Game of the Week."Turner Field replaced
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The nineties Yanks took three Series to the
Braves' one. Harry died in February 1998. That May, Skip visited Wrigley. "I
think about Dad all the time. Within five minutes of waking up each day and
before I close my eyes at night."

By then, Chip had become WGN's window on the Cubs. "I talked to
granddad in January. We were going to do fifty TV games," one of Harry's two
wishes before dying (the other, two martinis). "To come so close to fulfilling
that dream and have it taken away seems unbelievably cruel." His son, said
pop, "came from a broken home, like I did, and was starting to get to know
his grandfather. They were just starting to bond."

Holy cow! Try following Harry Caray. "Give [Chip] a chance to be
heard," pled the Chicago Tribune. Dad did an NBC Division Series, had an
angioplasty, and got a pacemaker that "triggers airports' metal detecting
device."

In 2003, WTBS busted him to wireless and Turner South regional TV:
"He's identified with the Braves. We want a national feel." Skip shrugged.
"I said, `Run that by me again."' Life, however, was relative. Just keep the
moolah coming.

Ratings dropped. Having missed the light, WTBS felt viewers' heat. "It's
nice to be back," smiled Skip, reinstated. "The fans made it happen." Perry
Como sang, "Oh, My Papa." In 2005, Chip joined his in Atlanta. The Carays
are enough to give nepotism a good name.

SKIP CARAT

PETE VAN WIBREN

In 2003, like Caray, Pete VanWieren was briefly dropped by WTBS. "Not seeing
and hearing them," wrote Jim Tucker, "is going to be as weird as not seeing Ted
Turner in the owner's box."The victim shrugged. "You broadcast when they tell
you. And you'd better be ready when they do."

Casey Stengel was a.k.a. The Perfessor. "The Professor" educed spectacles, brains, and work. "We're on the air so long and talk about a player four
or five times a game and a pitcher all game long. If you don't constantly prepare, you run out of things to say."

Van Wieren forged an Upstate New York frame of reference: born,
Rochester; liked, Allen and Barber; English degree, Cornell University. One
day, covering campus baseball, he got hooked replacing an injured
announcer. "Writing or talking, I'd consume papers and magazines-the best
possible training for baseball radio."

Other books

Crashers by Dana Haynes
Saving Simon by Jon Katz
Captive but Forbidden by Lynn Raye Harris
Roberson, Jennifer - Cheysuli 04 by Track of the White Wolf (v1.0)
Mujeres sin pareja by George Gissing
Blame It on the Bikini by Natalie Anderson
What's a Girl Gotta Do by Sparkle Hayter