Harry Caray: Chicago legend, baseball icon… and one hell of a brew boss.
The late Chicago Cubs broadcaster had a masterful way of not only making a baseball game come to life over the radio, but also entertaining for hours on end. Now, after Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times got hold of Caray’s expense diary from 1972, we know knocking back brewskies was another devoted talent to the Hall of Famer.
According to the log, Caray spent time in a bar, in some city, 288 days straight. We know this only because he was keeping a diary to write off every single drink for taxes.
Saturday, Jan. 1, lists four bars: the Back Room, still on Rush Street, plus three long-ago joints: 20 E. Delaware, Sully’s and Peppy’s, with expenses for each $10.30, $9.97, $10, and $8.95. This in a year when a six-pack of Old Style set you back $1.29….
…“These guys did nothing but go out and have a few cocktails,” said Jimmy Rittenberg, who owned Faces, which Caray visited 14 times in 1972. “I don’t know how they did it. They were 20, 30 years older than me and I couldn’t keep up with them.”…
…Toward the end of the diary, on Dec. 24, comes the kicker. After spending at least 354 of the previous 357 days in bars (DePorter counted 61 different tap houses) Caray writes, in a bold hand, “Vacation in Acapulco. Then “Vacation” every day until the year runs out.
No wonder Harry had a little gift for his buddy Bill Murray while on the air prefacing Wrigley’s first night game in 1988.
Passing out cocktails and asking about your mother. Ahhh, the good ol’ days….
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports.
Photo Credit: Getty
