After you reach 60, it hits you, doesn't it, when people you have known, in your age group, start to go? I lost so many friends and familiar faces. I feel, at 78, that I have been left behind, nearly forgotten...It helps that I have met new friendly people with whom I can laugh and talk about things with a similar viewpoint. I guess that's why the GOC is so important to me. Old age can be socially lonely, even with a loving family.

You're so youthfully active. Didn't know you were 62. You probably said it somewhere but I missed it. As compared to me, you're still very young. Keep drinking wine and you'll bypass me. Did you notice I didn't say "French" wine"? I got educated in your company. There's more than one country to produce heavenly drinks, although...

It's great when you go if you're missed by more than just family. It means that you served the public in a good way somewhere. RIP Skip.

Yeah, its been a tough year for baseball. The Reds lost long-time color man Joe Nuxhall after last season. The Yankees lost Bobby Murcer, too.

Hi Ralph ~~ long time!!. I am almost a couple decades you junior denny. reading obits yesterday and a guy I used to work with died at 45. really sucks.

I read that Skip has two sons broadcasting minor league ball.

Patrick- Skip's oldest son Chip is also a Braves announcer. Chip was the Seattle Mariners announcer when he was hired to be a Chicago Cubs announcer in late 1997 on WGN and work along side his legendary grandfather (and Skip's father), former Cardinals, Whie Sox, and Cubs announcer Harry Caray, but they never got to work together because Harry died in Feb., 1998, and Chip was named to succeed his late grandfather. Skip's youngest son is a Braves minor league announcer.

BTW Denny, The Atlanta Crackers? What's up with that? Were they owned by Malcolm X??? :)

Rob - Re the Atlanta Crackers. That was before political correctness.

Claudia - I doubt I'll bypass you. SCI puts a lot of stress on the body. I'm gonna go as much as I can for as long as I can.

Now, who's going to explain the infield fly rule to all the callers?

In 1976 & 77 we got cable tv I use to sneak out of bed at 1:00 am to watch the Braves replay on school nights. I loved listening to skip call the games. I will never forget Skip's call of Sid Bream Running like the wind(WELL MAYBE A GENTLE BREEZE) heading for home getting the braves to the world series.

SPANKY

May he rest in peace.

Unfortunately I was in Chicago when Harry passed away... geeze louise! You'd think no one ever died before I thought they were going to petition the Pope to make him a saint.

I was never a big HC fan although most everyone I knew seemed to be. I don't believe I ever heard Skip announce a game... then again we were way late getting cable tv too.

Listened to Harry when I was a kid and Skip as an adult. I will miss them both.

I remember listening to a Cub's game in the late Seventies which ended up something like 23-21 (the wind was blowing out at Wrigley) and it was hard to believe that an announcer could describe all the action without running out of words. I guess the Carey family are all born with the ability to talk as long as the players can play.
Here in Calif., we lost Bill King a couple of years back. He'd done pro basketball (Warriors), baseball (Giants & Athletics) and football (Raiders & possibly 49ers) as well as having the ability discuss the fine points of philosophy, the arts, gourmet food and the infield fly rule. I'm sure he saw as many of the most memorable moments in West Coast sports (yeah,we do play major league stuff west of the Mississippi) as anybody else in his era.
And how many broadcst partners has Vinny outlived?
It does make me realize how lucky I am to've enjoyed the calls of some of the greats.

Rob J

Heres a Braves fan from CA. Its been a sad few days out here. That man will definately be missed.

RIP Skip...

Denny -

You certainly show that you can do a lot with your life, no matter what. I find it very encouraging. It gives me a push. I'm not too sure about the meaning of SCI?

"I'm not too sure about the meaning of SCI? "

Spinal Cord Injury would be my guess.

Yes, Malthorn. I'm sure you're right. Thanks! I should have looked in my Merck Manual. Google is as dumb as I am, sometimes.

Rob J- That was on May 17th, 1979, at Wrigley Field. The Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22, and believe it or not, I was at that game!

I remember there were fifty hits in the game and like 10 HR's, and I know the Cubs Dave "King Kong" Kingman hit 3 HR's.

The Phillies won by scoring three runs in the top of the ninth, I believe.

Uh, Harry was calling White Sox games until 1981. He couldn't have called that game, although I remember another one that the Cubs were leading 13-2 that they ended up losing 16-13. I think he called that.

malthorn is correct. SCI = Spinal cord injury.

I always wanted to ask Skip about the subtle degrees of escalation between a Rhubarb, Brouhaha, and a Donnybrook. Rest In Peace, Skip. Baseball in Atlanta won't be the same.

Denny -

Thanks. I had problems all my life with abbreviations, unless I have memorized them, like for medications: T.I.D., O.D., etc.

After Malthorn said: Spinal cord injury, I remembered that you had said, in one of your old posts (and I wrote it down): T12/L1. I have been reading on SCI for the last hour.

Sometimes, you must think that I am totally insensitive because I seem to forget that you have a disability. But let's face it, Denny, you don't act like a cripple. You're more active than many two-good-legs-men I know. And you might want to be grouchy, but you have never been as gloomy as some of the SCI patients I saw at Rehab last month. I think it's in your nature to do the impossible. And you'll become a very distinguished white-haired 80 years old, long after I'm gone.

Till then, to your good health!

I remember King. Active duty military had open admittance to all Bay Area sports teams. We met the millionaire that owned Golden State and he told us we could use his box anytime, he was always out of town. hot waitresses and free beer, fun times. we gave all the teams tours of the Carl Vinson, and they loved it. 1982-83-84.

The Bay Area used to be a great area for military. Of course by the time I got out of the Army in '69 it wasn't a lot of fun. I grew up on 62nd St. near Telegraph Ave., in N. Oakland. In the early 60's Berkeley was great. Now, I won't go back to that part of the state for anything.
I do wish, though, that Alameda NAS had still been open when my daughter was in USNavy. She served on the Vinson right after 9/11.