Chip Caray won’t be disciplined by the St. Louis Cardinals or FanDuel Sports Network after accidentally using a slur during a promo read for Disability Pride Night
St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray will not face any disciplinary measures after unintentionally using a homophobic slur during Saturday’s MLB broadcast.
The 60-year-old was on the call for the Cardinals’ game against the Cincinnati Reds when he began reading a promotional spot for the team’s upcoming Disability Pride Night giveaway. While MLB teams have continued efforts to embrace LGBTQ+ inclusion through fan events and Pride celebrations, players like Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw have also made personal statements—he was recently seen wearing a cap featuring a Bible verse during a game.
The Cardinals broadcaster experienced an unfortunate verbal slip while reading the promotional message. His accidental use of the slur was met with about 30 seconds of awkward silence. However, as reported by Front Office Sports, Chip Caray will not face suspension or any disciplinary action.
St. Louis secured a thrilling 6-5 win over Cincinnati in extra innings on Saturday. But during a break in the fourth inning, a promotional read by announcer Chip Caray took an unfortunate turn.
While promoting the upcoming Disability Pride Night, Caray said, “Disability Pride Night is Thursday, July 10, and with a themed ticket, fans take home a Cardinals cap featuring the Disability Pride f–; flag and Cardinals in Braille.” The FanDuel Sports Network Midwest broadcast then went silent for about 30 seconds.
Neither Caray, FanDuel, nor the Cardinals have released a public statement, and the incident was not mentioned again during the game. According to Front Office Sports, the situation has been addressed internally, and no disciplinary action will be taken against Caray.
Chip Caray has been a fixture in sports broadcasting since 1989 and earned the respect of baseball fans after beginning his MLB career in 1991. Despite Saturday’s on-air slip, many fans quickly came to his defense as the clip gained traction online.
“The silence afterward says it all—he’s clearly mortified and probably has a thousand thoughts racing through his mind,” one fan commented on X. Another added, “It was clearly just a slip of the tongue. A simple apology should be enough—time to move on.”
One fan argued, “He doesn’t deserve to be punished. It was clearly just a slip of the tongue. I seriously doubt Caray goes around saying that word. People should focus on things that actually warrant outrage.”
Caray earned his journalism degree from the University of Georgia in 1987 and began his broadcasting career as the play-by-play announcer for the Orlando Magic in 1989. He spent nine years in that position while also calling games for both the Atlanta Braves and the Seattle Mariners during that time.
In 1996, Caray took on the role of studio host for Major League Baseball on Fox before transitioning to full-time play-by-play announcing. From 2005 to 2022, he was the voice of the Atlanta Braves, primarily on Bally Sports, before shifting his focus to the St. Louis Cardinals.
He became the Cardinals’ lead announcer in 2023 on Bally Sports Midwest, which was rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network last year. Caray continues a family legacy in St. Louis, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Harry Caray, who famously called Cardinals games.
His father, Skip Caray, was the longtime broadcaster for the Braves until his passing in 2008. Now, Chip’s twin sons, Chris and Stefan, are beginning their own careers in sportscasting.
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