Separating Caray Facts from Legend-- Part 2: 'Holy Cow!', 'Holy Toledo!' and Disco Demolition

**  Harry Caray had his duels with Milo Hamilton, his sometimes broadcast partner.  Harry had his "Holy Cow!" and Milo his "Holy Toledo."  Beyond this, they really didn't like each other.

**  "DISCO DEMOLITION"

There was plenty of blame to go around for the White Sox's infamous "Disco Demolition" promotion on July 12, 1979, which turned into an on-field riot and ended with the Sox forfeiting the second game of a double header against the Tigers at Comiskey Park.

Howard Cosell was not fond of Caray's style and placed some of the blame on him, saying:  "There's just too much of a carnival atmosphere, from the very on-air presentation of the White Sox to the front office itself."

Harry Caray  himself had tried to calm the masses by singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" but nothing helped.  Sox owner Bill Veeck later said:  "He was the dance band on the Titanic playing through the disaster."

Of course, Chicago deejay Steve Dahl might have had something to do with it as well as many rock and rollers fed up with the whole disco lifestyle.

--CootDemo

Separating Harry Caray Facts from Legend-- Part 1: How Old Was He?

From the May 5, 2019, Chicago Tribune by Phil Thompson.

Will the real Harry Caray please stand up.  Lots is known about the man, lots is possibly known about the man.  Everybody has their memories.

I sure enjoyed him but WOULD like to point out to Cub fans that he was the White Sox announcer for eleven years.  So we have our claim on him as well.

Author Don Zminda has written the new book "The Legendary Harry Caray:  Baseball's Greatest Salesman.

He also includes lots of anecdotes and stuff about his life that some Harry Caray fans might not know.

1.  WHEN IS HARRY'S BIRTHDAY?

It is difficult to know.  His birthdate has taken place at several different times according to him and according to whatever audience e was speaking to at the time.

Caray died February 18, 1998, and at that time, the Tribune cited "Who's Who in America" saying that he was born in 1919, making him 78.  But Cubs media has the year as 1920  Several other newspapers said he was born in 1919 and 1914.

Zminda wrote that it is fairly certain that he was born March 1, 1914, and that is the date listed according to St. Louis health records.

Always Loved Those Giant Glasses.  --DaCoot

Chicago's Best Four Sports Announcers-- Part 3: Harry Caray

By Jeff Agrest.

The Will Ferrelll/Ryan Dempster parodies of him make me angry.  They have never actually represented what he was all about.  He was the voice of the fan and he told it like he saw it.

Granted, he was better at his job when he was with the Cardinals (1945-69) and Chicago White Sox (1971-1981)  and a lot of people forget he was with the Sox.  Once he became too big for the Sox' taste, he went to the Cubs (1981-1997, and his persona only grew.

So did his fan base, largely because of him (and cable TV).  His sharpness faded, but his enthusiasm, humor and passion made every Cub game exciting (and there were plenty really, really bad Cub games back then).

He still sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the Cubs 7th inning stretches when there don't have a guest conductor.

Most people would rank Harry Caray as being the best, but I still would go with Jack Brickhouse.

Holy Cow!!  --Cooter

White Sox Announcers-- Part 4: Harry Caray Arrives

Then came Harry.  He was on the rebound as he had been immensely popular in St. Louis doing Cardinals games, but had been fired abruptly after the 1969 season.  he had then spent a year in Oakland before being signed by the Sox in 1971

His outgoing personality soon made him the Sox's greatest attraction.  He took Chicago by storm.  With a beer can in hand, he also became the "Mayor of Rush Street."

Caray became a fan favorite and Sox players and managers, much to their dismay, often became targets of his harsh and biting criticism.  Calling one game where the White Sox shortstop Lee "Bee Bee" Richard had made three errors, Caray cracked:  "Richard just picked up a hot-dog wrapper at shortstop.  It's the first thing he has picked up all night."

And Many Cubs Fans Don't Know That We Had Him First.  --CootHolyCow

White Sox Announcers Over the Years-- Part 3: Bob Elson

Three people, each with his own distinct personalities, have defined the history of White Sox announcers:  Bob Elson, Harry Caray and the "Hawk" Harrelson.

Beginning in 1929, Bob Elson became the team's signature play-by-play radio man and had a 40-year run that stretched from the careers of Babe Ruth to Mickey Mantle.  Known as "The Commander" for his World War II service in the Navy, Elson had a dignified, if not laid-back, style of calling a game.

His voice was the sound of many summer nights in Chicago during those years.

But, after the 1970 season his style of play calling was going out of style and something was done to liven up the calls.

A guy by the name of Harry Caray was brought in.

Yep, That Harry, Holy Cow.  --DaCoot

White Sox Announcers Over the Years-- Part 1: Ken Harrelson

From the March 23, 2018, Chicago Tribune  "33 seasons: You can put it on the board" by Ed Sherman.

"Bob Elson was a study in coolness and restraint.  Harry Caray was a crowd-pleasing provocateur.  Ken Harrelson mixes passion with playfulness."

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson will be returning for his 33rd year and is scheduled to call 20 Sox games this year before becoming a White Sox ambassador.  This will include Sunday afternoon home games, the Sox home opener on April 5 and the September 21-23 Cubs-White Sox series at Comiskey Park.

Harrelson started with the Sox in 1981, when Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn purchased the team and put Don Drysdale (play-by-play) and the "Hawk" (analyst) in the broadcast booth for their  SportsVision cable network.  Harrelson then went to the Yankees for a short time and returned to the Sox in 1990 wher he was lead play-by-play and paired with Tom Paciorek.

--CootSnort