NOVEMBER 3, 1968 | ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Harry Caray came close to packing it in long before he became the colorful play-by-play man for the Chicago Cubs. He was seriously injured when he was struck by a car while trying to cross a St. Louis street on this date in 1968. Caray was the Cardinals play-by-play man at the time. Both his legs were broken, his shoulder was dislocated and he suffered facial lacerations.
While Caray was in serious condition for a time he recuperated in time for the 1969 baseball season. That would be his 25th and final year with the Cardinals. He was abruptly fired after the season, the reasons were never officially disclosed.
Caray did play-by-play for the Oakland A’s before heading to Chicago in 1971 for an almost 3 decades long love affair with Chicago baseball and the city’s night life. He did White Sox games for 11 years – his tradition of singing “Take me out to the ballgame” started at Comiskey Park. He jumped to the Cubs in 1981 where he remained at the mic until his death in 1998.
Contributing sources:
Chicago Tribune, “Card ‘Voice’ Seriously Hurt by Car,” November 4, 1968
Harry Caray
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS • A die-hard Chicago Cubs fan and restaurateur paid in excess of $106,000 on this date in 2003 for a baseball so he could have the pleasure of destroying it.