Chip Caray

Last updated

Chip Caray
Chip Caray 2009.jpg
Caray in 2009.
Born
Harry Christopher Caray III

(1965-02-27) February 27, 1965 (age 60)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Education University of Georgia
Journalism
Occupation Sports broadcaster
Years active1987–present
SpouseSusan
Children4; including Chris
Family Skip Caray (father)
Harry Caray (grandfather)

Harry Christopher "Chip" Caray III (born February 27, 1965) is an American television broadcaster for FanDuel Sports Network Midwest coverage of St. Louis Cardinals baseball. [1] He joined the Cardinals' broadcast team after leaving the Atlanta Braves, where he had served as the television play-by-play voice from 2005 to 2022. Chip is also known from his time as a broadcaster for the Fox Saturday Game of the Week, 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 father of broadcaster Chris Caray.

Contents

Biography

Education and early career

Caray graduated from Parkway West High School in Chesterfield, Missouri in 1983. [2] [3] He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1987 with a degree in journalism. Before his first 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 1998. [4]

Caray worked on baseball games for the Seattle Mariners of the American League from 1993 to 1995. [5] 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.[ citation needed ] Caray was also a broadcaster for the first edition of Major League Baseball on Fox in 1996. [6]

Chicago Cubs

In December 1997, Chip Caray was hired to work alongside his grandfather as broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs. Harry Caray died in February 1998, and Chip stayed with the team and took his grandfather's place as "the voice of the Cubs." [7] He would go on to serve as their announcer for seven seasons, with Steve Stone providing color commentary for most of those years. Both Caray and Stone left the Cubs after the 2004 season. [8]

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, staying closer to his family, who lived in Orlando, Florida. [9] He also became a broadcaster for TBS's college football coverage of the Big 12 and Pac-10.

In 2007, TBS began broadcasting the Major League Baseball playoffs. Caray was named the main play-by-play broadcaster for TBS during its coverage of the playoffs. TBS would cover all Division Series games and the National League Championship Series. Hall of Fame player Tony Gwynn called the playoff games with Caray. [10]

Caray was criticized for making factual mistakes during postseason broadcasts on TBS. [11] [12] [13] In response to such criticisms, Caray said, "It wasn't the job that I had when I came here in the first place. It would be like being a pinch-hitter or being a relief pitcher that works once every 10 days. I'm better when I work more." On November 30, 2009, TBS announced that Caray and the network decided to part ways. [14] [15]

Fox Sports South

On December 21, 2009, Fox Sports South and SportSouth announced that Caray would be the play-by-play announcer for all 105 Braves games on the networks. The deal also includes selected college basketball games on the regional sports networks. [14]

Bally Sports Midwest (FanDuel Sports Network Midwest after October 2024)

On January 23, 2023, it was announced that Caray would become the play-by-play announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals, taking over for longtime broadcaster Dan McLaughlin. His grandfather, Harry Caray, had begun his career as the voice of the Cardinals.

During the June 21, 2025 game between the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, Caray accidentally misread a promo for the team’s Disability Pride Night, substituting the word “flag” with a homophobic slur. Dead air followed for over 30 seconds before Caray continued on with the game as if nothing happened. FanDuel Sports Network Midwest told the website Front Office Sports it considered the mistake to be an “honest” one, and that he would not be punished for it. [16]

Career timeline

Family

Chip Caray's grandfather, Harry, was famous for calling games of the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs. His father, Skip, was the longtime broadcaster for the Atlanta Braves until he died in 2008. [18] Chip Caray occasionally imitates his father with sarcastic comments made in a high, nasal voice. Caray also has a half-brother, Josh Caray, who is the play-by-play announcer for the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. [19] [20]

Caray and his wife have four children. [21] [22] Caray's twin sons, Chris and Stefan, attended the University of Georgia and began their professional sportscasting career with the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Texas League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. [23] In 2023, they were placed in the Arizona Fall League broadcast pool. Chip met son Chris when the Cardinals played the Athletics in Oakland on April 15, 2024. Chris was broadcasting Athletics' games for NBC Sports California in his second big-league series, while Chip called the Cardinals games. Chris is in a play-by-play rotation with Jenny Cavnar, who has the bulk of the games and is the first woman to be in a team's primary role. [24] Carey and his son Stefan called an MLB Spring Breakout game in 2025. [25]

References

  1. ↑ Woo, Katie; O'Brien, David (January 24, 2023). "Braves broadcaster Chip Caray leaving for Cardinals: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Chip Caray could replace Dan McLaughlin on Cardinals telecasts". St. Louis Post Dispatch. January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  3. ↑ Kim, Stephanie (January 31, 2023). "Chip Caray is 'thrilled to death' as his deal to call Cardinals games on TV is finalized". Daily Journal Online. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Cardinals Broadcasters | St. Louis Cardinals". MLB.com. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Broadcasters | Seattle Mariners". MLB.com. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  6. ↑ Nidetz, Steve (January 30, 1996). "Brennaman, Chip Caray join Fox for first year of baseball". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 29, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  7. ↑ Ringolsby, Tracy. "Q&A: Caray on family legacy, broadcasting". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Stone closes the door". Chicago Tribune. October 29, 2004. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Chip Caray Leaving Cubs To Join Father Skip With Braves". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  10. ↑ Lewis, Jon (September 24, 2007). "TBS unveils MLB broadcast teams". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  11. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (October 9, 2007). "An Error-Plagued Game, but From the Broadcast Booth". The New York Times .
  12. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (October 9, 2009). "Chip Caray Is in a Verbal Slump in the TBS Booth (Published 2009)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023.
  13. ↑ Kimball, Bob (October 8, 2009). "TV sports: Odd miscalls by TBS' Chip Caray". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 "Caray to cover Braves for FOX Sports". MLB.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  15. ↑ O'Brien, David (January 13, 2010). "Chip Caray is back as Braves broadcaster". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  16. ↑ Baer, Jack. "Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray reportedly won't be punished for saying anti-gay slur on-air: 'Honest' mistake". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chip Caray Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ "Skip Caray dies; spent three-plus decades calling Braves games". ESPN. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  19. ↑ Rocket City Trash Pandas Name Josh Caray Play-by-Play Announcer. Minor League Baseball. May 16, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  20. ↑ Karp, Jonah (June 18, 2021). "Josh Caray remembers father Skip Caray, play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves". Fox 54. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ Schultz, Jeff (May 6, 2020). "Downtime with family has provided Chip Caray with emotional healing". The Athletic. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  22. ↑ Richard, Mike (June 22, 2021). "Caray twins to broadcast Kettleer Games". Barnstable Patriot. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  23. ↑ Tucker, Tim (April 14, 2022). "Caray twins put fourth generation of family in baseball broadcast booth". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Media Views: Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray beams as son is 4th generation to call MLB games". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 19, 2024.
  25. ↑ Denton, John (March 12, 2025). "Chip and Stefan Caray take the mic for Spring Breakout". MLB.com. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
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