Former Braves broadcaster PETE VAN WIEREN died Saturday morning "following a long battle with cancer," according to David O'Brien of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. He was 69. Van Wieren "spent 33 years broadcasting Braves games" on TV and radio with the late SKIP CARAY. They "formed an iconic broadcasting team, first with the late ERNIE JOHNSON and later as a duo, on games heard across North America on Superstation TBS for much of their tenure." The "wonderful chemistry over many years between Van Wieren and the irreverent Caray made them as popular and as identifiable with Braves baseball as the ballplayers themselves, especially given the far-flung reach of TBS back in the day" (AJC.com, 8/2). MLB.com's Mark Bowman noted Van Wieren's passing came "one day shy of the sixth anniversary" of Caray's death. When Van Wieren retired at the end of the '08 season, he was "influenced by Caray's death and the desire to spend more time with his family." He was "diagnosed with cancer 13 months after announcing his retirement" (MLB.com, 8/2).
LEGENDARY VOICES: YAHOO SPORTS' Mark Townsend wrote Johnson, Caray and Van Wieren were "seemingly always there thanks to TED TURNER's Superstation TBS to give fans their baseball fix" at a time when every baseball game "wasn't available with the flip of a channel or at the touch of a button of your phone." Together, those three "always provided what fans were looking for, even if the game didn't." Townsend: "Sadly, all three of those distinguished voices are now silenced" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/2). The AP's Paul Newberry wrote Johnson, Caray and Van Wieren "were the faces and voices of the game in areas that didn't have their own local broadcasts" (AP, 8/3). In South Carolina, Mike McCombs wrote Caray was "known for his biting sarcasm and dry wit," and Johnson was "known for his down-home nature and tales from his playing days." But Van Wieren "was, simply put, sharp." Van Wieren, who was often called "The Professor," earned his nickname "as a result of his amazing preparedness and his ability to produce pertinent facts and statistics long before the Internet and the advent of websites like baseball-reference.com" (Hilton Head ISLAND PACKET, 8/3). The JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION's O'Brien wrote Van Wieren "was truly one of the good guys, in addition to being a damn fine broadcaster and perfect partner" for Caray. They were a "wonderful tandem, and before that a wonderful trio" with Johnson. O'Brien: "Now they're all gone. ... They were our VIN SCULLY, and we loved them" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/3).
