Chip Caray
Harry Christopher "Chip" Caray III (born 1965) is a television broadcaster for Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) and is also an occasional radio broadcaster and co-host of the pre-game and post-game shows on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network[1]. Chip is also known from his time as a broadcaster for the FOX Saturday Game of the Week and as the television play-by-play broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs from 1998 to 2004. He is the son of broadcaster Skip Caray, the grandson of broadcaster Harry Caray and the older half-brother of broadcaster Josh Caray.
Career
Early career
Caray graduated from the University of Georgia in 1987 with a degree in Journalism. Well before his first big job with FOX, he worked with local television stations in Panama City, Florida, and Greensboro, North Carolina. He was the play-by-play broadcaster for the Orlando Magic of the NBA from 1989 to 1996.
He worked on baseball games for the Seattle Mariners of the American League from 1993 to 1995. While broadcasting with the Mariners, Caray received a two-game tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals. After the 1994 season, he was expected to sign with St. Louis, but chose instead to remain with Seattle. Caray was also a broadcaster for the first edition of Major League Baseball on FOX in 1996. v
Chicago Cubs
In 1998, Chip Caray was hired to work alongside his grandfather as an announcer for the Chicago Cubs. Harry died in February 1998, and Chip stayed with the team and took his grandfather's place as "the voice of the Cubs". He would go on to serve as their announcer for several years, with Steve Stone providing the color commentary for most of those years. In 2004, after a difficult season for the Cubs, Chip criticized Cubs manager Dusty Baker[citation needed]. Both the Cubs and Caray thought it was best to part ways, and Caray and Stone both left Chicago after the season.
TBS
On the final day of the 2004 season, Caray announced that he had signed a long term contract with both TBS and Clear Channel to work alongside his father Skip, broadcasting games for the Atlanta Braves, stay closer to his family, who live in Orlando, Florida. Chip also became a broadcaster for TBS's college football coverage of the Big 12 and PAC 10.
In 2007, there was a major shake-up of the Braves broadcasters: Don Sutton departed to be the full time broadcaster with the Washington Nationals, Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren went to the Braves Radio Network, and Joe Simpson signed with Fox Broadcasting Company to be a color analyst on FSN South and Sports South, and also signed to call a limited schedule of games on TBS with Chip. It was announced that Chip would be a broadcaster for TBS and would also be the main play-by-play broadcaster for TBS during its coverage of the Major League Baseball playoffs. TBS will cover all Division Series games and the National League Championship Series. Hall of Fame player Tony Gwynn called the playoff games with Chip.
Caray is currently the main play-by-play broadcaster for TBS MLB Sunday alongside rotating analysts Ron Darling and Buck Martinez. He also works several Atlanta Braves games for Peachtree TV. Chip is a legend in broadcasting.
Career timeline
- 1989–1996: Orlando Magic Play-by-Play[2]
- 1993–1995: Seattle Mariners Play-by-Play[2]
- 1996–1998: MLB on Fox Studio Host[2]
- 1999–2000: MLB on FOX Play-by-Play[2]
- 1998–2004: Chicago Cubs Play-by-Play[2]
- 2005–present: MLB on TBS Lead Play-by-Play[2]
- 2005–present: Atlanta Braves Play by Play on TBS, Peachtree tv and Braves Radio Network
Broadcasting style
Chip resembles both his father and his grandfather. Chip's style is chatty, focused, yet effusive. He has been criticized by some and praised by others for interjecting his game analysis while delivering play-by-play, breaking the mold of one man strictly doing play-by-play and another offering color commentary, a style developed by his Atlanta Braves mentors.
Caray has been criticized for making factual mistakes during postseason broadcasts.
Family
Chip's grandfather Harry was a broadcaster most famous for calling the Chicago Cubs in his later years. His father Skip was the long time broadcaster for the Atlanta Braves before he died in 2008. Chip also has a brother Josh, who is the radio broadcaster for the Rome Braves (the Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves) .
Chip is married to wife Susan. They have two sons, Christopher and Stephan, and a daughter, Summerlyn.
Notes
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