"Holy Cow! The Story of Harry Caray" will debut on "MLB Network Presents" on Tuesday, February 2 at 9 p.m. ET. I was fortunate enough to get an advanced look at the hour-long special and, man, it is a must-see for anyone who has even a modicum of interest in learning about the former Cardinals, White Sox and Cubs announcer.
I've long lamented in this blog space that the Will Ferrell "impersonation" of Caray does a grave injustice to the actual memory of the iconic broadcaster. So many see it and think of Caray as some sort of embarrassment -- a bumbling idiot whose head shakes while he says nonsensical things. Thankfully, this is addressed in the special and summarily shot down (thank you, Joe Buck in particular).
This isn't to say the tone in the special is solemn. Not by a longshot. Harry's antics are also a central vehicle for telling his story. He was sincere on the air, an unapologetic homer whether he was cheering on his team or deriding them for poor play. Off the air, he was the life of the party, as evidenced by him once saying to Bob Costas, "it's all about booze, broads, baseball and bull----."
We also get to hear about Caray's background, from his poverty-striken childhood as an orphan and the unique way he got into broadcasting. Later, his stroke and subsequent recovery are tackled.
The special does tell the full story, too, which obviously includes negatives. Caray wasn't exactly the best family man in the world and this isn't side-stepped. The entire picture is painted.
Mostly, though, it's on the fun stuff. Such as the Budweiser "Cub fan, Bud man" campaign. There's also the 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' tradition that still lives at Wrigley Field.
Here's a clip:
Again, this is a must-see. I have seen most of the MLB Network Presents series, and this is the best one from my admittedly biased point of view (yes, I grew up watching Caray and Steve Stone call the Cubs on WGN through the 1980s).
P.S. From now on, let's call every hangover a "Harry Caray flu," as coined by Rick Sutcliffe.
