Baseball Broadcasters Who Drank While Broadcasting

[Viva Medias B's]

I am under the presumption that this topic is safe enough to discuss here. For years, we knew that Harry Caray used to drink beer while broadcasting baseball games. With us, he would drink Falstaff, then Stroh's, and later Budweiser. There are legendary stories of the effects of the beer influence Harry's on air broadcast. There is the legendary story, or urban legend, of a hot day and doubleheader in Kansas City when Harry said "It's so hot the third baseman is Melton."

In the Major League movies, we see Bob Uecker's character, Harry Doyle, often consume alcohol on the air. Was this a common thing with the old time announcers? I cannot imagine announcers doing it today.

[Nellie_Fox]

Harry's the only one I remember doing it in all my time of watching or listening to Sox games. I can't imagine Bob Elson slamming back brews. I'm reasonably certain Brickhouse didn't.

[chicagowhitesox1]

I don't know if i'm wrong but I remember Harry Carey really slurring his words by the 7th inning when I listened to him as a kid in the 80's. I kinda wish Steve Stone would write a tell all book on his experiances with Harry Carey and Ken Harrelson. I guarantee I would buy the book.

[LITTLE NELL]

Originally Posted by chicagowhitesox1

I don't know if i'm wrong but I remember Harry Carey really slurring his words by the 7th inning when I listened to him as a kid in the 80's. I kinda wish Steve Stone would write a tell all book on his experiances with Harry Carey and Ken Harrelson. I guarantee I would buy the book.

It's Caray not Carey.

[Railsplitter]

Originally Posted by Viva Medias B's

I am under the presumption that this topic is safe enough to discuss here. For years, we knew that Harry Caray used to drink beer while broadcasting baseball games. With us, he would drink Falstaff, then Stroh's, and later Budweiser. There are legendary stories of the effects of the beer influence Harry's on air broadcast. There is the legendary story, or urban legend, of a hot day and doubleheader in Kansas City when Harry said "It's so hot the third baseman is Melton."
.

I actually remember hearing him say it in 1975. I've always thought of it as an incredibly bad pun.

[SephClone89]

Originally Posted by Railsplitter

I actually remember hearing him say it in 1975. I've always thought of it as an incredibly bad pun.

Bad puns are good puns.

[DumpJerry]

Originally Posted by Viva Medias B's

I am under the presumption that this topic is safe enough to discuss here. For years, we knew that Harry Caray used to drink beer while broadcasting baseball games. With us, he would drink Falstaff, then Stroh's, and later Budweiser. There are legendary stories of the effects of the beer influence Harry's on air broadcast. There is the legendary story, or urban legend, of a hot day and doubleheader in Kansas City when Harry said "It's so hot the third baseman is Melton."

In the Major League movies, we see Bob Uecker's character, Harry Doyle, often consume alcohol on the air. Was this a common thing with the old time announcers? I cannot imagine announcers doing it today.

You left out his "7 ounce buddies." ("I've got my 7 ounce buddies up here in the booth...") They were 8-packs of 7 ounce bottles of Miller.

By the Seventh Inning of games, Jimmy Piersall had to translate for us what Harry was saying. A doubleheader? Harry was useless in Game Two.

[SI1020]

Originally Posted by DumpJerry

You left out his "7 ounce buddies." ("I've got my 7 ounce buddies up here in the booth...") They were 8-packs of 7 ounce bottles of Miller.

By the Seventh Inning of games, Jimmy Piersall had to translate for us what Harry was saying. A doubleheader? Harry was useless in Game Two.

Are there any tapes available from that time period to confirm or refute that contention? Posters who weren't alive then are going to read stuff like this and make a very misinformed judgement about that era of Sox broadcasting.

[slavko]

Brickhouse's sidekick Harry Creighton used to drink Hamm's on camera. He'd be ready to fall out of the booth after a doubleheader. That's where "Hey, Harry" started. He left broadcasting and wound up with a Hamm's distributorship. No lie.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1...creighton-beer

[MeteorsSox4367]

I remember Harry Caray pitching Falstaff when I was a little kid. My question is was Falstaff a quality beer or was it crap?

[FielderJones]

Originally Posted by MeteorsSox4367

I remember Harry Caray pitching Falstaff when I was a little kid. My question is was Falstaff a quality beer or was it crap?

Low-end.

[Nellie_Fox]

Originally Posted by MeteorsSox4367

I remember Harry Caray pitching Falstaff when I was a little kid. My question is was Falstaff a quality beer or was it crap?

It was so bad that when the beer shipments would arrive in Viet Nam, by the end of the month the only things left were Falstaff and Carling's Black Label. Even guys in Nam wouldn't drink it unless they had no other choice.

[LITTLE NELL]

Originally Posted by Nellie_Fox

It was so bad that when the beer shipments would arrive in Viet Nam, by the end of the month the only things left were Falstaff and Carling's Black Label. Even guys in Nam wouldn't drink it unless they had no other choice.

How could that be when it was ''The choicest product of the brewers art''.

[Chez]

Originally Posted by MeteorsSox4367

I remember Harry Caray pitching Falstaff when I was a little kid. My question is was Falstaff a quality beer or was it crap?

So bad that I'm surprised the hipsters aren't drinking it in Wicker Park/Bucktown.

Anyone else remember the brief Carta Blanca era as the official beer of the White Sox?

[DSpivack]

Originally Posted by Chez

So bad that I'm surprised the hipsters aren't drinking it in Wicker Park/Bucktown.

Anyone else remember the brief Carta Blanca era as the official beer of the White Sox?

They might be if it was still around.