The phrase "the end of an era" is trotted out so often that it's all but lost its meaning, but this is one occasion where it really fits. Atlanta Braves announcer Pete Van Wieren announced his retirement today, capping a 33-year career calling Braves games on radio and television.
Following on the heels of the passing of his longtime friend and broadcast partner Skip Caray earlier this year, Van Wieren's announcement marks a significant moment in team history, as the duo firmly established themselves as the collective voice(s) of the Braves over three decades of calls.
Much has already been written about Caray's legacy following his death, and my hope is that Van Wieren's announcement will spark a similar outpouring of memories and appreciation while he's still around to enjoy them. (The Sunday Paper honored Van Wieren last month in our annual "SP 100" list of the people, places and things we love about Atlanta.) I've always enjoyed the calmer counterbalance he brought to his broadcasts with Skip, as well as the intense preparation he put into each game, which earned him the nickname "The Professor." I particularly enjoyed his sense of humor, which was still in evidence this season even after the loss of his friend Caray; a recent low-key riff he did on the thick sheaf of rules and regulations for Turner Field's all-you-can-eat hot dog promotion had me in stitches. (He may not even have been joking, but his incredulousness was priceless all the same.)
Maligned as he is by some members of the national media (I'm looking at you, King Kaufman), I'm sure that Chip Caray will do a fine job as the new voice of the Braves, assuming he's offered and accepts that mantle. (I'm thinking he and former Brave Mark Lemke make the most obvious choice for permanent game-callers on the Braves Radio Network.) But the Braves experience will never be the same. For me, and I'm sure for many others as well, Van Wieren's retirement is as seismic an event in sports broadcasting as the death of Howard Cosell. Atlanta, the Braves and baseball are all the poorer for the Professor's absence.
Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves