Here's Yet Another Reason To Love Harry Caray
(CBS) Legendary broadcaster Harry Caray was always known as a man of the people and a fan favorite.
Now, long after his passing, we're still hearing beloved Caray stories.
Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg recently acquired a diary of Caray's from 1972, and in a superbly written piece that you can read here, he reveals that Caray went out to the bars for 288 straight days during the calendar year, which was part of a stretch of 354 nights out in 357 days. At the time, Caray was a broadcaster with the White Sox. He would later go on to receive more national acclaim when he became the voice of the Cubs.
There are many entertaining details in Steinberg's read, but perhaps this is the most meaningful. He writes Caray went out because he loved the people so much.
From Steinberg:
Give Caray credit. As old-fashioned, and perhaps even pathological, as the bar-crawling seems today, there is another truth worth mentioning: Harry Caray could have taken his drinks at home. He went out because it was his job.
"He felt the bartender and bar people were his fans," Rittenberg said. "He felt he was responsible He would stop in 10 joints. He was just a gregarious guy."
Click here to read Steinberg's full piece.