SO LONG, SKIP

Skip Caray has slipped this mortal coil. For people of my generation, he may be the most familiar baseball broadcaster who isn't local.

Caray knew the game, loved seeing it played the right way, and never hesitated to tell it like it was. Which led to some of the following gems...

• “When [Kevin] Mitchell hits into the 6-4-3, The Magnificent Seven will be coming on. Six. Four. Three. Hope that movie’s ready!”

• Broadcast partner Pete Van Weiren was going over stats of a pitcher who was entering the game. Lots of stats. Skip interjected in the middle of it, “And he’s a big boy, too!” in reference to the reliever’s weight.

• The Reds are bringing in a reliever, Todd Coffey, and Skip remarks, "Well, the Braves are going to try to cream coffee here in the 7th."

• (When a camera lingers over a female fan who is obviously wearing a thong) "That reminds of the butcher who backed into a saw and got a little behind in his work!”

• Believe it or not, the Braves were once synonymous with losing back in the early days of TBS. After one of their (infrequent) victories, Caray would often end the broadcast with 'It's Cocktail Hour!'

• At one point, Ted Turner forbid his newscasters on CNN from using the word “foreign” since his network had developed a global reach. Instead, they were to use the word “international.” Being a loyal employee of Mr. Turner, Skip was calling a Braves game when the batter called time and backed of the batter’s box, as Skip explained, because “he had an international object in his eye.”

• Discussing former Dodger 2B Steve Sax's troubles throwing the ball with partner (and former Dodger teammate) Don Sutton, Caray asked a question that Sutton couldn't answer off the top of his head. Without missing a beat, perfectly dry, Caray remarked that Sutton should try to 'phone Sax.'

• Near the end of a one-sided, poorly-played game: "If you promise to patronize our sponsors, you have permission to go walk the dog."

• During a Braves bullpen meltdown just a few summers ago: "The bases are loaded again, and I wish I was, too."

• And for you Braves fans, from 1995: "Fly ball, deep center field, Grissom's on the run ... Yes! Yes! Yes! The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship. Listen to this crowd. A mob scene is on the field. Wohlers gets them, 1-2-3."