After Terrible Playoff Run, TBS Drops Chip Caray
Monday, November 30, 2009
I always preface these posts with the note that you never want to see someone lose their job, but in certain circumstances it's warranted. After what one could describe as the worst multiple game announcing performance, Chip Caray has been let go by Turner Sports. Via the NY Times....
Chip Caray’s tenure as TBS’s lead major league baseball announcer ended Monday when he and the cable network agreed to part ways.Well all's well that ends well, right? Hopefully Chip can hop on somewhere and work on whatever has been plaguing him the past few years. He reminds of that period of time when Chuck Knoblauch couldn't throw to first from second.
Caray’s high-volume style was mixed with a penchant for bad play calls, embellishments and factual errors. His best known incident occurred during the American League Central Division tie breaker between the Twins and the Tigers in October. He called an obvious lineout this way: “Line drive. Base hit. Caught out there. The runner tags. Throw to the plate. On target. And in time! A double play!”
In a memo sent to company employees, David Levy, the president of Turner Sports, wrote on Monday: “Since the end of this year’s M.L.B. playoffs, we’ve had several discussions with Chip Caray regarding 2010 and beyond. Both sides have agreed that now is the right time for Turner Sports and Chip to move ahead on different paths.”
Chip Caray And TBS Part Ways (NY Times)
14 Comments:
Yes, time for Chip to move on. Perhaps medical sales? Anything that doesn't involve a microphone will be fine.
Caray got fisted by TBS. How soon before George Lopez gets similar treatment from TBS?
I think the Times got Chip's call incorrect. I think he actually says the throw is "off target"
TBS should go one of two ways. Either bring in a young upcoming announcer who has had little national attention (i.e. Kevin Burkhardt from SNY, who unfortunately SNY wouldn't let work for FOX for a few Saturday games, but lets Ron Darling work for TBS), or one of the greats, an elderstatesmen (just not Stockton)for a season or two.
If Vin Scully ever retired from his full time Dodgers job it would be great to hear him on national TV again. Or it could be an opportunity to get Dick Enberg back into baseball.
The NYTimes copied the Turner Sports press release. Chip Caray was fired. Any other network would have s@$tcanned him the day after his farkup in the AL Central playoff.
@Brett: Dick Enberg has been approached by the San Diego Padres about an open PxP job.
Wonder if they could get Costas to jump over from MLB Network. Sure, he'd have to miss SNF a couple times, but that show already has plenty of "hosts".
Bob Costas has a clause in his MLB network contract stating he cannot work on any other 'Cable' network. He can only contribute to broadcast network, so he is free to work on NBC for NFL and Olympic coverage. Look for TBS to stay relatively in-house and go after Don Orsillo.
If Time Warner would've purchased NBC/Universal, than I think the story would have been different.
regarding Dick Enberg, the San Diego Union Tribune reporting that he will call Padres TV games this season. That may just be enough reason to watch them
Padres telecasts are on 4SD, a cable-only channel.
@Salty1973: Don Orsillo is under contract to NESN for Red Sox games.
Remember NESN fired Sean McDonough because he was doing too much national stuff.
Great hire by Padres. Girlfriend is a Pirates fan, so whenever the Pirates play the Dodgers or Padres on the west coast we'll be watching the west coast broadcasts. I was born in 82 so I never really got to hear Enberg do baseball.
Neeley was in the middle of the two but could you imagine going right from Vasgersian to Enberg?
@itkilvu: Ron Darling is under contract with SNY for Met Games and Buck Martinez is under contract with MASN for Oriole games. So that point is moot.
But, if Orsillo has an 'exclusive' contract with NESN for the regular season, then that's a different ball of wax.
There's likely not going to make a decision till March at the latest. My bet is they hire rotating play by play guys(Orsillo, Anderson, Stockton, maybe get Enberg for west coast games) per week and pair them with their rotating analyst (Darling, Martinez, Wells, Eckersley). Then, they pick the best PXP to team with Martinez and Darling for the post season.
As for Dick Enberg calling Padre games: Have you heard him doing football lately? He's well into into Pat Summerall range - and not in a good way.
One down two go go. Will it be Morgan or Buck?