Lferch 16, 2001
Atlanta Braves announcer
Skip Caray visits Guilford
Zack Hample
STAFF WRITER
"I'm in the unique situa
tion of saying I'm not even the
best broadcaster in my family,"
said Skip Caray shortly after
stepping to the podium on Feb.
25, at the New Garden Friends
Meeting.
Skip has announced for
the Atlanta Braves since 1976.
His late father, Harry, broad
casted baseball for 53 years
and was inducted into the Hall
of Fame in 1989. His older son,
Chip, currently announces for
the Chicago Cubs, and his
younger son, Josh, a Guilford
freshman, hopes to broadcast
sports one day as well.
Skip's brief speech pre
ceded a long period of ques
tions and answers, which cov
ered topics ranging from rev
enue sharing to succeeding as
a broadcaster to John Rocker
and more. With insight and
humor, he delighted his audi
ence of roughly 150 with anec
dotes and opinionated one-lin
ers. Here are some of them:
On how he succeeds at
his job: "You have to broadcast
within your personality I
have a knack of seeing some
thing and getting it from my
eye to my brain to my mouth
very quickly. It's a God-given
knack."
On his father: "My father
was the life of the party wher
ever he went. I miss him ev
ery day of my life. I know he
got his money's worth....Before
his stroke, to listen to him
broadcasting a baseball game
was really something."
On his father's advice
to him: "He said, 'Follow the
ball and tell the truth.'"
On he and his father
first getting into the busi
ness: "My father was a crea
ture of radio, as was I when I
first got started."
On rooting for the
Braves while he broad
casts: "The people in New
York think it's terrible that I
refer to the Braves as 'we' and
act happy when they win....1
pride myself on being honest.
I believe I should root for the
Sports
Braves. If I didn't, I'd be a
phony."
On being critical from
the booth: "You can't lie. If a
guy is 0 for 27, it says so right
on the screen....Years ago, it
wasn't tough to criticize be
cause we were so lousy I
don't knock the teams unless
I think they need
knockin' I've had players
from other teams come up to
me and thank me for being
fair."
SH&DjHik' 4 vH
ipm |
Skip Caray (center) chats with Guilford Psychology Professor Richie
Zweigenhaff (left) and his son, First-Year Josh Caray (right).
Zweigenhaft helped arrange Caray's visit to Guilford to commemorate
the 20th anniversary of the college's communications concentration.
On what it takes to get
into broadcasting: "Hit .300
or win 20 games. So many ex
jocks are hired to do our job."
On why broadcasters
must get along: "It's a long
summer, and it's a small
booth."
On revenue sharing:
"The owners have really
screwed it up Baseball is
headed for another potential
tragedy."
On appreciating his
job: "I'm very well paid for
what I do, and I'm very thank
ful for it."
On the difficulties of
his job: "You don't get much
time with your family during
the season...The travel is bru
tal."
On who his favorite an
nouncer is: "Me!"
On John Rocker: "He's a
little bit goofy. I don't think
he's the sharpest knife in the
Ihe GLalfordian
drawer....l think he deserved
every bit of [the criticism]. I
like him -- I really do -- but I
don't know what he was
thinkin'....l just wish he would
do his pitching with his arm
and keep his lips firmly
sealed."
On George Steinbrenner:
"He's good for baseball. He
likes me, so I like him. He has
a lot of money and spends it."
On Pete Rose's ban
from the Hall of Fame: "If
he's not there, should there be
a Hall of Fame? I don't know
the answer it's a tough one."
On Dale Murphy: "He is
what every father wants his
son to be."
On Deion Sanders:
"Deion is not my favorite guy."
On ratings: "I let that
stuff get worried about by the
people that are paid to worry
about it....Our ratings are good
because our team is successful
and because our announcers
are so good. Ha!"
On producers: "I don't
pay any attention to produc
ers. When I got started, there
was no such thing as
producers I just do it my
way."
On why he has no plans
for a book: "I've made enough
lawyers rich, thank you very
much."
On a 250-watt radio sta
tion: "You have to drive into
their parking lot to hear
them."
On Monday Night
Football's coverage: "I have
never understood why it takes
three announcers to tell me
what I just saw I honestly
think that in television, we all
talk too much."
On the uselessness of
certain statistics: "I don't
care how many Thursdays
Chipper Jones hits pop flies to
left field."
On pursuing a career in
broadcasting: "Immerse
yourself in the English
language....Journalism school
can help, but there's something
to be said for actually going
out and doing it....Get as close
to it as you can. It's a very,
very competitive business, but
if it's your dream go for it."
Caray's audience re
sponded positively. Vice Presi
dent of Enrollment Randy
Doss, a four-year varsity base
ball player and graduate of
Guilford, said, "It's refreshing
that with Skip Caray, what you
see is what you get. I was
touched by his obvious passion
for his father and his humble
ness in the footsteps, if you
will, of one of the great broad
casters of all time .... That was
probably one of the most genu
ine kind of experiences I've
ever had."
Chris Solas, a Guilford
freshman and starter on the
baseball team, added, "Anyone
who didn't go definitely
missed something special."
On the day after his
speech, Skip visited Richie
Zweigenhaft's mass media
class for a more intimate dis
cussion. Zweigenhaft, a base
ball fan and psychology profes
sor, helped arrange Skip's visit
to Guilford both for his stu
dents' benefit and to celebrate
the 20th anniversary of the
communications concentra
tion.
Said Zweigenhaft, "It was
a totally successful visit ... and
it worked for us in lots of
ways. He brought a wealth of
experience to us, and we were
fortunate to have him."
i
ZACK HAMPLE
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