I didn’t have cable growing up at the other end of Orange County, so when my family went to the beach every summer, watching the Braves on TBS was a bonus. Yes, even during the 80’s when they were horrid. I still remember Dale Murphy going to bat with thousands of empty blue seats in the background.

Regardless of the record, the Braves were baseball’s version of the Washington Redskins across North Carolina in that they weren’t simply a city franchise, they were a regional franchise. And it wasn’t solely because of television. At their peak in the 1990s, the Braves were broadcast on no less than two Triangle radio stations (WTIK and WCHL).

And Skip Caray was the voice of it all.

That’s why this is such a loss for those of us who grew up with the Braves, even if we weren’t necessarily fans.

Again, well done.

I was stunned when I saw that Skip had died. First, I called my best friend, because I didn’t want to read it on the front page of the AJC, then I called another friend. I didn’t really start to tear up, though, until I called my dad to tell him the news. When the years of winning began, I was in 2nd grade. I remember exactly where I was when my dad told me about MLB, and the Braves - things that, to that point, I didn’t know existed - and I fell in love with the team and the announcers. There are only a handful of announcers out there who can really do it right, and Braves fans were blessed to have four, working together for so many years. I love Joe, and Don, and got to spend a few amazing hours talking with Pete at a SABR meeting - but the best was always Skip. With Skip, it always came down to his love of the game. He didn’t necessarily love all of the players, coachers, or, Lord knows, callers to his show - but he loved the game. He didn’t pretend to be anything other than himself - a cranky old curmudgeon with an incredible ability to bring a silly game to life and give it meaning. I’d cringe when someone would call in with a silly question, knowing the exasperation Skip was about to unleash, and I’d laugh at his sly jokes. I never got the sense that he was starstruck, because I always considered him to be one of the stars. The Braves are the “Atlanta Braves National League Baseball Club,” and even though he never wore the uniform, Skip was as much a part of that club as any player.

I spent years as a devoted Braves fan before ever getting to attend a game, but when I took that first step into Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, and saw those players for the first time, it was both enthralling and completely familiar. Skip always made it sound as though I was there at the game, and it was a place at which I wanted to be.

For me, Skip’s death brings us one step closer to the end of an era that was marked by just a few constants - Bobby, Skip, Joe, (sadly, no more Don), and Smoltz. Pete is the only one I’ve been lucky enough to meet, and yet all of those guys have played a huge part in the joys of the last 18 years of my life. I hope for many blessings on Skip’s family, and I wish that I could thank him for the smiles he brought me - even if he would grumble in response.

Sports fans in LA have been blessed by the sports gods in giving us two legendary sportscasters: Chick Hearn and Vin Scully.

I empathize with you Braves fans. For such a long time, Chick symbolized Laker basketball. It is still very difficult for me to watch a Laker game without hearing Chickie. Now Vin is getting up there in age. I try to catch all the games I can.

Stay up Braves fans!

I’m a New Yorker (born and raised and actually from the city) and I’ve been fortunate to have done some freelance work to cover the Yankees and some Mets games. Yet, as strange as it is to most, I’ve been a Braves fan since about ‘95 when they won the chip. Much of this was because I felt that unlike the Yankees and Mets broadcasters, I got a chance to learn about the game from guys like Caray who were fairly objective. It also felt like he was actually having fun with his job (the horror of it all!) by being professionally loose, I guess you can call it. He knew when to be serious, yet was endearing enough to let viewers and listeners smile a bit. It wasn’t just about watching Atlanta, but they gave their opponents enough respect to not be complete homers. I understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it was quite refreshing from the hooting and hollering and BSin’ northeastern cities are infamous for.

Skip Caray should have gotten much more respect as a broadcaster than he did, but I’d imagine that at least within true baseball people and Braves fans that there’s a little bit of sadness.