Caray Loved Both Baseball and Partying

Harry Caray’s love for baseball was well known--and so was his love for partying.

“Here’s to you, pal,” he’d say, laughing and lifting his glass, saluting all who were around. “The drinks are on me.”

He was gregarious, boisterous. He was called the “Mayor of Rush Street,” a popular Chicago nightclub district, and he worked hard to earn the title. He was difficult to turn down. His personality was magnetic, catching. When he partied, he did it big.

It was back in December 1979. We were filing out of Assumption Church following the funeral mass for George (Mugs) Halas, the son of Chicago Bears owner George Halas. Mugs had a massive heart attack at age 54. It was a sad day.

“Hey, where are you going?” Harry hollered.

“I’m going to buy a Christmas tree.”

“That can wait,” he said. “We have to have a drink in Mugs’ memory.”

Assumption Church is a couple of blocks west of Gene and Georgetti’s, one of Harry’s favorite haunts in Chicago.

Walking down the street, Harry began inviting everyone in sight, enough to more than fill the bar.

There was the Notre Dame pundit, Ziggy Czarobski, and his former All-American teammate, George Connor. Connor had a great pro career with the Bears.

There was Johnny Lattner, a Heisman Trophy winner. There were the Osmanski brothers, Bill and Joe. Bill, a dentist now, had been one of the big stars in the Bears’ famous 73-0 championship victory over the Washington Redskins in 1940.

One drink led to another and another, not unusual when in Harry’s company.

Soon patrons were coming in for the cocktail hour and it was “Hi, Harry” and “Hey, Harry. What’s up, pal?” Everybody seemed to join the party.

Then the bartender came over and said, “Harry, Mr. Stein is buying this round for your party.”

By now Harry was well oiled. Lifting his glass, he shouted over the din to Ben Stein, his longtime friend and a local union official, “Hey Ben, here’s to you, pal. Who says crime doesn’t pay?”

Everybody roared with laughter and the party went on.

I didn’t buy a Christmas tree that day.

But after they have a memorial service for Harry, I’ll lift a glass high and say, “Here’s to you, pal.”

I won’t miss out on that one.

Joe Mooshil covered Chicago sports for The Associated Press from 1955 until his retirement in 1994. He first met Harry Caray when Caray was a broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1950s and for years they would share rides to and from Wrigley Field.