Chicago Cubs: Former TV announcer heads to St. Louis

Former Chicago Cubs TV play-by-play commentator Chip Caray is going to be heading to the St. Louis Cardinals broadcast booth. The news was reported by The Athletic's David O'Brien after talks had been swirling. Caray, 57, had spent the last 17 years calling Atlanta Braves games and spent some time with the TBS national broadcast.

From 1998-2004, Cubs fans heard the voice of Caray, son of Skip Caray, and grandson of Harry Caray calling the action on WGN TV and Fox Sports Chicago. Caray took over the duties of Cubs play-by-play in 1998 after his grandfather passed away that February. He called the games alongside longtime Cubs color commentator Steve Stone over his seven years in Chicago.

Caray in his time with the Cubs got to call some memorable moments. This included the Sammy Sosa home run race with Mark McGwire in 1998, Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game, and the 2003 division championship season. It is worth noting he did join the Fox-32 broadcast team's pregame and postgame shows for the 2016 World Series.

One might remember Caray and Stone moving on from the Cubs TV booth after the conclusion of the 2004 season, on a rather sour note. He went to join his father on the TBS Braves crew after WGN was reportedly outbid by Turner. There was the well-documented 2004 feud between the broadcast crew and the team, and Caray said his leaving was not related to that, but some Cubs fans will always speculate. It has now been nearly two decades since Caray called Cubs play-by-play.

For those who listened to him broadcast Cubs games, it will definitely be a bit weird to hear him calling Cardinals games even after all these years. Regardless of what one might think about his broadcast style, which has garnered mixed opinions, he was part of several significant Cubs moments. For the later-millennial Cubs fan group (born in the early-mid 90s), like myself, that was our first Cubs TV broadcaster we really got to listen to. There is admittedly a bit of a nostalgic factor thinking about his time with the Cubs, even if not on top of my broadcaster list.

It does seem somewhat fitting, however, as his grandfather called Cardinals games for many years well before he came to the North Side. It's like the loop is complete.