Harry Caray was the greatest.
The broadcasting legend didn't call a game cleanly the way someone like Vin Scully did -- Vin was a craftsman -- but Harry was a man of the people, a boisterous everyman whose black-rimmed glasses, ever-present Budweiser, and off-key singalongs of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" made him an icon.
Listening to Harry call a Cubs game was so much fun. Even if he was bound to butcher players’ names.
One of the names he struggled with was Ken Caminiti's. Instead of pronouncing it Cami-netty, or Cami-nitty, it resembled something more like Cami-nee-nee or Cami-neaty (it could vary by game or call).
Here's a good example of his creative pronunciation of Ken's name during a classic 1989 Cubs-Astros game.
And here’s another example from a 1996 Padres-Cubs game.
I spoke about Caray's adventurous approach to saying Ken's name during a recent interview with John Howell on WLS-AM 890 in Chicago.
Other interviews:
I appreciated the thoughtful chat I had about my book, and Ken's life, with WGTD in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
I also enjoyed appearing on ML Sports Platter with Mike Lindsley, discussing Ken's ups and downs, his legacy, and his impact on the game.
Love this. Made me smile