When I heard that MLB Network was doing a Presents film on Harry Caray, I was understandably intrigued and more than a little bit excited. Caray’s glory days had come before my time – he died when I was just 11, and he had become a caricature to me thanks to Will Ferrell’s portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live and the emphasis on his singing during the Seventh Inning Stretch at Wrigley Field.
After watching this documentary, I have a better knowledge of Caray the broadcaster and a little bit of a better understanding of Caray the man, and I’ve realized that the caricatures aren’t exactly accurate – for better and worse.
Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray will be the featured subject in Holy Cow! The Story of Harry Caray, the latest edition of MLB Network Presents, premiering Tuesday, February 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Narrated by award-winning actor and die-hard Chicago Cubs fan William Petersen, the one-hour program documents Carey’s rise to becoming one of baseball’s most iconic voices and how his legacy still resonates throughout the game today.
The episode covers a rare intimate look into Caray’s childhood and relationship with his family, including interviews with Atlanta Braves broadcaster and Harry’s grandson, Chip Caray, and Dutchie Caray, Harry’s widow. Famous for his “Holy Cow” expression, baseball broadcasters Joe Buck, Bob Costas, Pat Hughes, Tim McCarver, Steve Stone and Rick Sutcliffe describe Caray’s unique broadcast style that endeared him to generations of fans. Former Cubs President John McDonough and Chicago columnist Rick Kogan detail Caray’s special bond with Chicago, the city where Caray called White Sox games for 11 seasons and Cubs games for 16 seasons. Longtime comedians and Chicago natives Tom Dreesen and Jeff Garlin highlight Caray’s colorful personality, which was made memorable by his signature rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch of games.
This film doesn’t exactly sugar coat and whitewash Caray’s life, something I appreciate as some of the other Presents films seemingly have been hesitant to be critical at times. That’s not an issue here – Holy Cow! discusses Caray’s early years with the Cardinals and the power plays he pulled on a young Jack Buck, the way he would bury players on commentary if he had an axe to grind (there’s a great story about Ken Boyer not wanting to do a pregame interview with Caray, and getting threatened for it), and the estranged relationship he had with his family, including his grandson Chip (who is prominently featured throughout the documentary, along with Joe Buck, Bob Costas, Jeff Garlin, and Steve Stone, among others).
I think the worst part about this film is that we’re just seeing it now as opposed to years upon years ago. Ferrell’s Caray impression is firmly ingrained into people’s minds, clouding their memories of Caray as a broadcaster. This month marks the 18th anniversary of Caray’s death, meaning that no one in high school or lower in Chicago (or the rest of the country for that matter) actually heard Caray broadcast a game live.
Unlike a Hawk Harrelson, Vin Scully, or Bob Uecker (two of whom have gotten MLB Network Presents specials in the past – hey, can we get a Scully one soon?), Caray’s actual broadcasting remains almost mythical at this point. Kids today didn’t grow up listening to him.
Futhermore, because Caray doesn’t have that “iconic call” like a Scully, or a Jack Buck, or any other of a litany of national and local announcers, we mainly remember the silliness and gimmicks as opposed to the broadcasting. Big goofy glasses? Take Me Out to the Ballgame? Beer commercials? That’s just as much of the Harry Caray aura and mystique as his announcing.
This film went a little deeper than that and explored some of the other aspects of his life and career, and I appreciated that – it would have been too easy to simply focus on all of the gimmicks and quirks while ignoring everything else. Thankfully, that didn’t happen here.
MLB Network Presents: Holy Cow! The Story of Harry Caray airs at 9 PM on Tuesday, February 2nd.
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