Milo: Still bitter after all these years
The Chronicle's Brian McTaggart previews Milo Hamilton's forthcoming book today and plugs the announcer's promotional appearances. As far as the topic of Harry Caray goes, the book is about as expected:
Hamilton and Caray worked together in St. Louis in the 1950s and again years later with the Chicago Cubs before Hamilton left for Houston in 1985 because of what the Cubs called "personality differences." Caray died in 1998.
"Being around Caray, day after day, was a real challenge," Hamilton writes. "Harry's handling of people was poor, to say the least. It didn't matter if he was dealing with the starting pitcher, traveling secretary, the public relations person or an usher. He treated everyone the same way. In short, he was a miserable human being."
Hamilton's long resented Harry Caray, but blasting a dead man (and a revered one at that) is probably indicative of which man is the miserable one.
Milo Hamilton seems to have grown ever more bitter over the playful Caray's fun at his expense. Chicago sportswriter Jim O'Donnell recounts one such experience (below the Read More link):
Milo Hamilton was furious and Harry Caray was delighted.
The scene was Opening Day, 1982, Caray's first home game as the newly anointed top banana in the Cubs broadcast scheme, and the outside chill was nothing compared to the frosty conditions inside the WGN booth.
Hamilton had expected to ascend to first seat when Jack Brickhouse left the Cubs booth, but Caray had bolted to Wrigley Field and Hamilton didn't like it. Then, during the seventh-inning stretch on Opening Day, Hamilton's quiet rage became public.
Caray rose to sing ``Take Me Out To The Ball Game'' and Hamilton tore off his headset, flung it down and snapped: ``I don't have to listen to this [bleep].''
Brushing past producer Jack Rosenberg to exit the booth, Hamilton encountered a writer out on the catwalk.
Poking his finger repeatedly in the media visitor's chest, Hamilton raged: ``You know, it's my [bleeping] booth, too. I'm still a part of this. But that [bleeping] bastard inside's got all of you under his thumb. So now you're here to do another piece of [bleep] about that guy without asking me a single question. You're all a bunch of [bleep].''
The poking and the tirade continued until well into the bottom of the seventh when Rosenberg directed Hamilton back inside the booth.
After the game, Caray summoned up enough stagedoor innocence to ask the writer, ``Hey, what did you say to get Milo going like that? I just can't figure that guy.''
Figure that guy?
No, no, Harry. It was you that all of Chicago always wanted to figure.
--Jim O'Donnell
Classic.
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Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/09/06 12:32 PM | Print |
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