The Caray name has echoed through baseball booths for generations. But even legendary announcer Harry Caray might have been surprised to see his family legacy on display at a single ballpark. On Monday, the father-son duo of Chip Caray and Chris Caray called the St. Louis Cardinals-Athletics game in Oakland a unique moment for the sport.
“Harry would be astounded,” the Cardinals play-by-play voice said via the San Francisco Chronicle.
But even for those of us who don’t own the “Caray” moniker, it’s hard not to feel goosebumps for a uniquely human moment. And it probably wasn’t a coincidence that NBC Sports California chose to have the 24-year-old Chris on assignment rather than lead play-by-play voice Jenny Cavnar.
It was a moment worth documenting. And one that the father-son duo soaked in.
As NBC Sports California displayed a montage of the Carays, both side-by-side and through the years, Chris visibly became emotional on-air. The weight of this remarkable family legacy seemed to strike him. He managed to call out the Cardinals’ lead heading into the fourth inning, but the moment clearly held a deeper meaning.
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And that deeper meaning was shared by Chip, who remarked, “My boy,” when he saw his son following in the footsteps of not only himself but the generations before him.
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“For a guy who didn’t really know family and the fact that baseball has kept our family together, and that a fourth generation is following in his footsteps, and considering the upbringing he had, it’s a remarkable accomplishment that he probably never would have dreamt in his wildest possibilities,” said Chip.
Sure, the “Caray” name is baseball royalty, and there might be expectations that come with following a family legend in the same field. But Chris isn’t focused on that narrative. He and his identical twin brother, Stefan, are carving their own path. While Chris calls MLB games, Stefan is currently honing his skills at Double-A Amarillo.
“Everybody talks about the Harry Caray narrative,” he said. “But truthfully, that narrative is not as important to me as being Stefan’s brother and Chip’s son. That’s what I identify with. I had never met Harry, but it’s so nice to know that people in this game still have so much respect for our family and understand the history.”
That history is why both broadcasts focused on the play-by-play announcers more than one normally would. They are not usually the story, but they sure were on Monday.
“We’re so blessed, lucky, and fortunate to do this, to realize that someone in our goofy family has been behind the microphone every year in this game since 1945,” said Chip.
And that seems like it’ll only continue for generations to come.
