Feb. 18--When Harry met Ernie, the year was 1953.
Harry Caray and recently deceased Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks were two of baseball's all-time greatest ambassadors.
Wednesday marks the 17th anniversary of the death of Caray, and the restaurant bearing the name of the Hall of Fame broadcaster is planning its annual toast to honor him.
Banks once told me about the first time he met Caray. As a rookie shortstop, Banks hit the first of his 512 home runs off Cardinals pitcher Jerry Staley. The next night Caray asked Banks to be his pre-game guest.
"Harry came down around the batting cage. He came up to me and introduced himself to me," Banks related for the book I wrote ("Cubs: Where Have You Gone?").
"I was still just a kid (22) and I was very shy. Harry said with great enthusiasm, 'Ernie Banks! Boy, you hit a tremendous pitch out of the ballpark last night. You are going to be a great hitter.'
"I said, 'Well, thank you very much.'
"Harry was very complimentary. He told me I had quick wrists and he wished me well. I thought that was very nice. I didn't have any idea about broadcasters and announcers then because I had come from the Negro Leagues (Kansas City Monarchs) and we had no announcers or broadcasters then.
"My old teammate and mentor with the Cubs, second baseman Gene Baker, later told me that Harry Caray was the top broadcaster for the Cardinals. Gene said: 'Do you know that KMOX has a range of 500 miles as a station?'
"I said, 'You mean they can hear me in Dallas (Banks' home town), too?'
"Gene said: 'I don't know about Dallas, but a lot of people can hear the games.'
"I was so naﶥ, but Harry and Gene both kind of settled me down. And I quickly learned about the power Harry had on the air as a broadcaster."
fmitchell@tribpub.com
