“Line drive. Base hit. Caught out there. The runner tags. Throw to the plate. On target. And in time! A double play.”
No that’s not the voice of a ten-year-old kid running around his neighborhood stuttering through a make-believe play, that’s’ actually the dialogue used by high-salaried TBS baseball announcer Chip Caray during a crucial part of an extra innings playoff game between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.
If there were such a thing as rolling over in your grave then Caray’s grandfather the late, great Harry and his father another classic on the mic Skip Caray were spinning out of control Tazmanian Devil style when Chip made that embarrassing call.
TBS just announced their ratings are up this year but as more sets are tuning in the MLB Playoffs, more blunders at the mic are occurring and Caray’s reviews are spiraling down the toilet.
During the New York Yankees’ series, Caray told his listeners that Minnesota Twins player Orlando Cabrera “has played in the Division Series with Anaheim, the Yankees, Boston and Tampa Bay.” Fact is, Cabrera never played for the Rays or the Yankees.
Mistakes like these are even chastised at high-top tables at the local Hooters when made by the common fan and are certainly inexcusable for any professional announcer.
Like so many media sources jumped on the dogpile opposing Rush Limbaugh becoming an NFL owner, Caray, who is also being ridiculed for his over-use of the word “fisted” is also feeling the coast-to-coast wrath from several outlets from the New York Times to popular sports blog sites like Deadspin.com.
As the MLB Playoffs resume play this week, maybe viewers should be grateful a majority of the opening series were sweeps; there was less time they had to sit through Caray’s blunders, lackluster performances and calls like “he fisted him!” at the mic. Of course Caray is referring to when a pitcher throws to the extreme inside of the plate but the term may be considered offensive to some.
Regardless of the outcome of these playoffs or the ratings increase for TBS, if the network decides to keep Caray at the mic after the end of this season, looks like it’s the fans who may be getting “fisted”.
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