Must See Harry Caray "Impression"

What's with people doing Harry Caray impressions?

Seriously, it seems like anyone with oversized black glasses thinks they have an open invitation to try and sound like the legendary Chicago Cubs broadcaster.  And, mostly, they come across as hackneyed copies of the impersonation Will Ferrell made popular years ago.

Yeah...looking your way Derek Holland and Ryan Dempster.

So, when I saw that Chicago Blackhawks national anthem singer Jim Cornelison donned the unironic thick black glasses for a "Toast for Harry" event this past Thusday...I cringed.

Then, well, then I watched the video below.

Now, if I can make a suggestion.  Is there any way the Cubs can get Cornelison to take up permanent residence at Wrigley Field now that the team has officially uninvited some of their D-list regulars?

HOVG Heroes: Skip Caray

JOSH CARAY on SKIP CARAY

My father was one of the most unique people I have ever met, simply because he was able to establish himself as a great broadcaster by taking on a style drastically different from the one my grandfather portrayed.

Harry was bombastic, Skip was mellow.

Harry was a homer, Skip was cavalier.

Harry lived and died with every pitch, Skip took every game in stride.

To listen to the two, you would have never known they were related. But regardless of style, dad achieved iconic status by simply being himself. To make things more impressive, while Harry built his legacy in the thriving baseball metropolises of St. Louis and Chicago, dad did it in a city that, until 1991, had as much interest in baseball as America has in water polo.

In 1976, the Atlanta Braves were on the verge of moving to Toronto when Ted Turner, in sheer brilliance (and maybe lunacy), bought a floundering baseball team that had drawn a mere 534,000 fans the year before. Turner then took his acquisition a step further and, in an unprecedented move, put the vast majority of his team’s games on a nationwide superstation (TBS). Mind you, this was before ESPN, FOX Sports, or even WGN. Turner was the first to promote nightly, televised major-league baseball. In so doing, he may well have saved the future of the Atlanta Braves.

But in order for this endeavor to work, Turner needed voices; ringmasters for the beautiful circus that is baseball. He wound up finding three men, so different in style, he covered the spectrum in broadcasting decorum.

1) Ernie Johnson Sr.-Before his son became the host for TNT’s "Inside the NBA," Johnson was the Braves version of Vin Scully. A former player and WWII vet, Johnson brought the grandfatherly, campfire, story-telling vibe that so many try to emulate, but so few accomplish.

2) Pete Van Wieren-"The Professor" as he was affectionately known was just that; a professor of baseball. Pete could recite box scores, game stories, and historical occurrences at the drop of a hat. There was no one who out-prepared Pete Van Wieren. He was simply one of the great broadcasting minds of his generation.

3) Skip Caray-The "Voice of Braves Fans." The smart-aleck cynic who would crack jokes and make fun of the team’s misfortunes, which were quite frequent in his first 15 years in the booth. As Pete was reciting a statistic, or Ernie was telling a story, dad was talking about the guy in the stands with the funny hat.

And that’s the way it was. Three men, three different personalities who came together to bring some of the best baseball broadcasting there has ever been. Quite remarkable when you consider just how bad the Braves were in the 70s and 80s. As dad said just before a game during one of those low years: "Like lambs to the slaughter, the Braves take the field."

So what made my dad special? Very simple; he didn’t care what you thought, he didn’t care what you said, and he didn’t care how he was perceived. He took what he saw on the field and said whatever was on his mind. Did he make enemies in the process? Yes. Would my dad’s style work today? No. But it worked at a time when those Braves broadcasts needed some humor to make those difficult summers bearable. Even Ted Turner saw it. Dad would rip his own boss’s ball club and be allowed to do it because, quite frankly, it was the truth.

He brought laughter when, as a Braves fan, there wasn’t a lot to laugh about, which I suppose is what made him so endearing to fans. He wasn’t afraid to say what the typical fan sitting in aisle 102 would. That’s why he was the "Voice of Braves Fans."

Whether or not my father gets into the Hall of Fame is irrelevant. Fans of his say it’s an injustice that he’s not in already. But really, when you consider that other greats such as Johnson, Van Wieren, Tom Cheek, and Joe Nuxhall haven’t gotten their just dues, there really isn’t that much to complain about.

Dad was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2004 and that was good enough for him. I just hope that the folks at ESPN and FOX remember that the pioneers to nightly baseball broadcasts were my dad, Pete, Ernie, and Ted Turner. If not for them and the success they created, who knows what would have become of sports networks. The chances they took and the broadcasts they gave paved the way for the 24-hour sports news cycle.

As for me, I miss my father. He was a strong guide early in my career and every success that I garner is lessened by the fact that he is gone. But I am strengthened in knowing that he brought so many smiles and so much excitement to so many people.

And if the Braves can ever achieve another World Series win, many fans are going to reiterate a phrase that my father made so popular:

Braves Win! Braves Win! Braves Win!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Josh Caray is a veteran minor-league broadcaster who, currently, is working as a news reporter for All News 106.7 FM in Atlanta.  Feel free to check out Caray's Friday Five from April 2011.

CM Punk Invades Wrigley Field

Say what you want about the Chicago Cubs (and God knows I've said my fair share), but inviting people up to the pressbox to sing out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is one of baseball's best traditions.

With or without a holographic Harry Caray.

Seriously though, how awesome is this picture of WWE Champ, Chicago native (and Steve Bartman hater) CM Punk doing the duties Tuesday night?

How About a Holographic Harry Caray?

Now that the Tupac Shakur hologram has officially taken the world by storm...is it time to wonder who/what should be the next hologram to perform "live"?

I think so.

And, apparently, so does CBSSports.com blogger C. Trent Rosecrans.

Since Caray's death (which was actually about a year-and-a-half after Tupac died), the Cubs have had guest singers...it was cute for a while, especially early on when they got big names to do the singing, but now it's just old and sometimes sad.

Instead of just a sing-along with the organ or a recording, let's go with holographic Harry. Tupac cost somewhere between $100,000 and $400,000, and that's just pocket change compared to what the Cubs are paying Alfonso Soriano -- and less of a defensive liability to boot.

Now, I had never thought of bringing Harry Caray back, but if I did, I guess I would have proposed something akin to the Rock-a-Fire Explosion.

But since it was brought up, I decided to reach out to friend of The Hall (and grandson of the Chicago Cubs broadcasting legend) Josh Caray to see what he had to say.

"It would be a great way for a new generation of Cubs fans to know who my grandfather was," the younger Caray told me.

And maybe Josh is right.  Frankly...anything is better than this.

It's Harry Caray's Birthday!

The first of March means two things...we're less than four weeks from Opening Day and wannabe Harry Caray impersonators everywhere are putting on thick, black glasses and saluting the former broadcaster on what would be his 98th birthday.

That said, a lot of those guys won't really be doing Harry Caray impressions as much as they'll be mimicking Will Ferrell doing a Harry Caray impression.

And, yes, I'm even talking about Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster.

But the guy that does the best impression is my buddy, Chicagoan Matt Wagner.  Judge for yourself.

Is Wagner better or worse than Ferrell, Dempster and Texas Rangers hurler Derek Holland?  I think so.

Oh...and Happy Birthday Harry Caray!

ANOTHER Caray Enters the Broadcast Booth

Last week, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs announced that the grandson of legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray will be joining "Crustacean Nation" for the upcoming baseball season.

Josh Caray is the latest Caray to sit down behind the microphone as he follows his grandfather (Harry), father (Skip) and brother (Chip) into the family business

Caray will be in the Crabs broadcast booth and call all 126 games on BroadcastMonsters.com with live video webcasts set on ibnsports.com. Their season begins April 29.

This is the part of this post where I'm supposed to elaborate further and say something clever about the "apple not falling far from the tree" right?

Not. Gonna. Happen.

Well...at least not until Friday. Stay tuned.  In the meantime, check out Josh's audition to become "the Voice of Wrigley Field".

Ryan Dempster...Baseball's Rich Little?

Former Chicago Cubs pitcher and Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins has more wins (284) than any other Canadian-born pitcher.

In case you were wondering, the team's 2011 Opening Day starter Ryan Dempster starts the new season fourth on that list with 102.  That said, he could very well be sitting second all-time pretty quick given the two guys ahead of him on the career list are Kirk McCaskill and Reggie Cleveland with 106.

He's got a long way to go to match Jenkins...but it is still a pretty cool accomplishment.

Now, I only mention all that so I can bring you this.

Recently, the hurler sat down with good friend of The Hall George Castle. The twist...he did the entire thing as longtime announcer Harry Caray.

A big thanks to Bleed Cubbie Blue and Rant Sports for making this clip available.

You can catch more of George Castle and his show "Diamond Gems" over at WNFL 1440 and FOXSports1340.com.