This is part of what I have written about Pete Van Wieren for my weekly Score Atlanta Column, which will be out NEXT Wednesday. Thought I'd throw you guys a sneak peek. Be sure to visit www.scoreatl.com and grab a copy of Score ATL when it his the stands tomorrow and EVERY Wednesday. (PS, tomorrow's prep edition has my interview with Grayson head coach Mickey Conn. Check it out!)
The 2009 Braves radio broadcasts will certainly sound different than in past seasons. Long time Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren announced his retirement Tuesday, ending his 33 year relationship with the franchise. This past season, “The Professor” called games exclusively for the two radio affiliates of the Braves Radio Network but had previously worked for the Braves television partners as well.
"This is something my family and I have been thinking about the last couple of years," said Van Wieren in a statement released by the club. "It's simply a desire to live my life without the restrictions of a baseball schedule. I want to thank the Braves, my broadcast partners and especially the fans for their support over the years."
Van Wieren has been such a staple in Atlanta since he started with the Braves for the 1976 season. We was elected to the Braves Hall of Fame in 2004, along with his long-time partner Skip Caray. In 2006, Van Wieren was awarded the Georgia Sportscaster of the Year Award by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, his tenth and final time winning the honor. The Atlanta Journal also tabbed him as Atlanta’s Favorite Sportscaster in 1977. Much like Caray, Van Wieren called other Atlanta sports early on in his Atlanta career including the Atlanta Flames (NHL), the Hawks and the Atlanta Falcons. He worked as a sports reporter with CNN and even worked with TBS as a college football play-by-play announcer.
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