Of Mikes and Men A Lifetime of Braves Baseball

by Van Wieren, Pete; Wilkinson, Jack

• ISBN13: 9781600783593
• ISBN10: 1600783597
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-04-01
• Publisher: Triumph Books

Summary

As a boy growing up in upstate New York, Pete Van Wieren dreamed of becoming the play-by-play voice of his hometown heroes, the Triple A Rochester Red Wings. Instead, he found big-league broadcast heaven in Atlanta. In 1976, Van Wieren and another young broadcaster named Skip Caray, son of the legendary Harry Caray, were hired to call Atlanta Braves games. Over the next three decades, they were the voices of America's Team, as the Braves became known thanks to Ted Turner's TBS superstation. For 33 seasons, Van Wieren - nicknamed "the Professor" for his scholarly approach to baseball and resemblance to a college professor - saw it all and called it all, including mercurial owner Ted Turner's one-game stint as the Braves' manager in 1976. And then, in the midst of 15 seasons of mostly awful and often hilariously inept baseball, came the Miracle of 1991, when the Braves went from worst to first, captured Atlanta's heart, and nearly won one of the greatest World Series ever played.

Author Biography

Pete Van Wieren was the heartwarming voice of the Atlanta Braves for 33 seasons. In Of Mikes and Men, the veteran broadcaster shares his life story from baseball and beyond, offering a captivating perspective on the franchise and its winning tradition.

Table of Contents

The Long Drive Home	p. 1
Growing, Going ... Gone	p. 11
Radio Days	p. 21
A Brave New World	p. 31
Torre! Torre! Torre!	p. 45
Changing Times	p. 55
Worst to First	p. 63
We Need a Fireman	p. 77
A Season Lost an Answer Found	p. 89
From the Surreal to the Sublime	p. 95
The Rotten Apple	p. 107
Other Sports, Other Venues	p. 119
The Bridesmaid Years	p. 133
Of Mikes and Men	p. 149
"We're Losing Our Vin Scullys"	p. 159
End of an Era	p. 167
The Final Year	p. 175
Losing a Friend, a Partner, a Legend	p. 183
So You Want to be a Big League Broadcaster	p. 191
Reflections on a Fortunate Life	p. 199
Acknowledgments	p. 209
Index	p. 211
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.