The Day Skip Carey Died

                                        The Braves
     I’ve been an Atlanta Braves fan since they’ve existed. I believe I was a kid present at the first game played at Atlanta Stadium, and I was certainly present the day the Rose wilted, when Gene Garber ended his hitting streak at fourty-four and no more.

    Anyway, the Braves recent success caused me to recall song lyrics I wrote the day Chip Carey died. Sorry, but you really need to know a lot of Braves lore to fully appreciate the references.


The Day Skip Carey Died

(sung to the tune of “American Pie”)


A long, long time ago

Before Ted bought the station

And shot the Braves across the nation,

Pete 'n Ernie met the funny guy.

And they made a great tag team

On radio wave and T.V. beam

Just yesterday, today it seems,

The day Skip Carey died.


Has a baseball team ever been this bad?

Skip would call and ask his dad.

They make the Cubs look like the Yanks.

Roland Office was no Willie Mays.

We'd lose three games in two days.

I still remember how those players stank.

Way back before we had McCann

It was Knucksie and three days of rain.

Riding on the Bravos' train

Was an exercise in pain.

Next-to- last was a real good year.

We'd leave when they stopped selling beer.

They were happier in Mudville than we were here

The day Skip Carey died.


They were singing

Slide, slide,

Sid Bream slide.

Otis Nixon couldn't fly

But you know that he tried.

On a hot August night

It was raining inside

The day Skip Carey died.

Jerry Royster ruled on Disco Day.

Charlie Hustle held at bay,

Forty-four but Garber slammed the door.

In the wee morning hour Rick Camp goes deep;

Fireworks wake folks from their sleep.

Ted lets Bouton pitch ball four.

The Mad Hungarian had his day.

Ah shucks Murph, you're gone away.

Esasky came to play

But all we did was pay.

And every year when we took the field,

The hated Bums refused to yield,

Made Braves fans feel the way you feel

The day skip Carey died.

They were singing

Slide, slide,

Sid Bream slide.

Otis Nixon couldn't fly

But you know that he tried.

On a hot August night

It was raining inside

The day Skip Carey died.


Then for fourteen years we owned the game,

Personel changed, results the same.

Ho hum. Braves win every day.

Glavine and Mad Dog mystified.

We should'a kept Justice on our side,

Might'a won more Series rings that way.

From the old round house to the fancy Ted

The players played while Bobby led.

When they messed up, they never got blamed.

“Come on, Kid” was everybody's name.

While opponents praised and writers raved,

Would Smoltz win or would Smoltz save?

Chop if you must but please don't wave

The day Skip Carey died.


They were singing

Slide, slide,

Sid Bream slide.

Otis Nixon couldn't fly

But you know that he tried.

On a hot August night

It was raining inside

The day Skip Carey died.