Pete Vonachen's tribute to Harry Caray

scriptures and at this woman person those areas the longest the oldest friend he's president passe Midwest League of Peoria Chiefs from Peoria Pete the knockin good morning not going through the litany of all the celebrities here good morning to everyone and thank you Father Smith yes I am Pete baracan a friend of Harry's for 48 years and today he put me to the supreme test of our friendship because first I had to usher now I have to give this little this is not a eulogy it's just a tribute and I know I won't have to drive the hearse because he always told me I was a lousy driver in the world our friendship and devotion towards each other I think was more like brothers I think maybe I was a brother that Harry never had but he has given me a trip through life does hard to describe moments that I will cherish in my heart forever and give us the true meaning of friendship I heard father Smith say the mass of the Resurrection please father don't resurrect him we couldn't go through this again when you were doing that clapping I thought stop he's gonna jump out of there many of us know Harry through baseball broadcasting the midea of the business or just seeing them at the ballpark but our association was different it was entirely personal talking laughing traveling together playing gin rummy or dinner with our wives and through all this my wife Donna and dutchy created a strong bond they had to because they spent a lot of time together without us I always thought it was great to go to their Frank Maloney I cheated him out of a ticket I always thought I was great to go with Harry to the ballpark and not have to buy a ticket but when then when touching down and went shopping I found out it was the most expensive free ticket I ever had to illustrate our very close relationship there are many we went on many vacations trips or whatever together we were married 25 years and I said well Donna we've been married 25 years let's take a little vacation where would you like to go she said away but do we have to take Arri time will not permit me to tell you about all the good things and yes I want to talk about only the good things because that's all we had good times it was no secret that Harry enjoyed a drink or two and especially with his friends and Harry stamina and energy was legendary a lot of people would say it's nice that your Harry's friend he always talks about you I'd say he has to talk about me I've been his buddy for forty eight years and survived not many people can say that and I lost my best friend but I think I'm going to live longer they say they say what does it take to be such a close friend of Harry's I said it's easy unlimited stamina a cast-iron stomach keep your bag packed and your divorce lawyer on retainer how do you think your stomach could feel if after a night on Rush Street now you got to top it off with for the morning with a couple of banana daiquiris and hotsy-totsy I haven't liked bananas ever since in all respect father I think I have the record for attending 8:30 mass at Holy Name Cathedral with a hangover after a tough Saturday night I would have to drive Harry's of the ballpark about 11 o'clock so I had to slip over here for mass I get back to the hotel and Harry be waiting all bright-eyed good night's sleep full enthusiasm he slapped me on the back and say did you have a good time last night buddy you don't look so good Yeah right Harry the absolute thrill of a lifetime and many of us here who's experienced this was to ride with Harry when he was driving without a doubt the worst driver in the world he had to be a driver's ed school dropout I rode with Harry probably more than anyone here that you would always make me riding the front seats of death seat she could curl up on the floor in the back seat the only thing we would say hail Mary full of grace it was always a great experience to have Harry ride with with me when I was driving he's getting the car the first thing he says it's hot in here Tehran the air conditioning a bunch around he said get WGN on the radio on I've you punch the radio called Uchee I forgot to tell her something I'm trying to use the phone I get Rush Limbaugh but boy it's cold in here turn the heat up and I'm working and we're in there buddy trying to drive through this traffic I'm a little country boy from Peoria world where a traffic jam the six car back up with a left turn lane so call ed Lynch that was a lousy trade see if the Sox are on I'm leaving through traffic again and then he looked at me and he said boy are you a terrible driver one day we were late getting to the ballpark and you know Harry never missed one minute of any game that he ever had to broadcast we got all tied up on a traffic at Belmont and now he's getting excited and it's a boy we got to get out of here we got to get out of here now frustration said soon he says just go up on the sidewalk this go up on the sidewalk I know the cops I said well you may you may know the cops but I hope you know the relatives of those people were going to kill hey I'm having fun this I'm running a little over father Bob but they're liking it so I Harry's great for stopping in a bar ordering a drink there'd be no action in there so I'd say let's go I said Harry I got a full drink he said I just leave it I said where are we going he says I don't know if I gave the people in this Cathedral a day all the drinks we left on the bar in 48 years there's not one of you that would pass a breathalyzer test I was privileged to go a Duchy to make the final arrangements at All Saints Cemetery and I said Duchy I'm glad you chose this type of the tournament because area and I'd be driving we used to laugh and he says boy and I die I hope they don't cremate me I'll burn forever we are used to talk about go ahead I'll wait I went there we always talked about donating our bodies the scientist that was one of our big conversations we thought well they'd get not too bad of bodies but they sure be disappointing our livers because they were shot I could go on forever and tell wonderful stories and experiences during our relationship and if I could get Jack buck then Tommy Brennaman Ronny Santo Steve stone and Jimmy Piersall in a room until Harry Caray stories we could tape them and sell them for the biggest fundraiser in the history of Maryville in fact and we could discourage any Piersall in Harry in a room be a best-seller but all these stories are not the only Harry Caray I knew he was a person with whose unlimited energy level went off the charts a person who loved people and they loved him we have tried to travel this entire hemisphere together people always knew Harry they Wayne they wanted to shake his hand talk to him he would respond because as we all know Harry never knew a stranger young people was his target and I was told that a marketing genius once said he didn't know how marketable Harry Caray would be because he doesn't relate to young people the only thing I can say is this guy must have been the marketing director for Omar Qaddafi everyone loved her young and old because of a zest for life he was forever young at heart after a game Perry would have to be somewhere or maybe the last few years he would be just dead tired he said let's get going as quick as we can but invariably he would stop and sign a few autographs which turned into 15 20 30 minutes I thought you wanted to get going yes but how can I turn down those little kids one day at the restaurant there was a young man in a wheelchair obviously handicapped and disabled Perry went over signed his cap signed his shirt had pictures taken with him and a scene I'll never forget the mother throwing her arms around Harry and then saying Harry you don't know what you just did for my son we went out and he got in the car Harry looked at me and said so we think we got problems we're taking a walk one day way up above somebody said hey Harry hey Harry I said Harry God's calling you know I'm hearing his brass places what do you want gun but but it wasn't God 9 or 10 stories up on the building was a scaffold were for construction workers and of course Mary responded immediately and they hollered back and we get an autograph sure the workers lured the scaffold 9 or 10 stories for 15 minutes they stood there shook his hand and he signed autographs he made their day they these were his people the construction workers the bus drivers the cab drivers the bartenders and just the guy on the street also the other Harry Caray I knew was compassionate had a zest for life with an endless desire to be with people he dive into a crowd like everyone was his best friend now Harry's up there in heaven with the old gang and you know because of our faith we realized most of us must make a stop in purgatory for a little attitude adjustment then hopefully on to heaven not Harry he's in Ben Stein's limo probably probably got st. Peter driving because we all knew it took a saint to drive for Ben where Jack dawn has tipped the doorman the ballet Parker and the maitre d Gino michelada Jean and georgette ease is cooking the steaks Emma O'Neal is mixing the drinks bill Beck has got his shower set up there in centerfield Perry's leaning back lifted his glass ready to call the game and saying holy cow this is not so bad I can drink again I love Harry's son Chris's line he said if my dad knew what was going to happen he sure would I had a couple drinks from a southeast standpoint I have lost the best friend a person could ever have but more importantly the world has lost a giant of a man whose love for the game of baseball and the love of people should be an inspiration to all of us an inspiration to live your life in the fullest have fun cherish every moment baseball needed Harry Carey and it's hard to imagine the game the city the world without Harry I sincerely trust that the players and the owners will take a page from the life of Harry and start to recognize the fans as Harry would say they made it all possible for the good of the game every player should be like Harry Caray I hope they really think about this because if the Harry was here he would be right there signing autographs and talking to the fans our relationship has also put a new meaning on the word friends today was the day we were going to meet at Spring Training as we have for over 20 years put just like that my friend is gone if you have a good friend maybe you should put your arm around him or her and give it a little hug and say I love you my friend in this chaotic and wild world that we live in everybody needs a devotion of a friend make an effort extra effort to respect all your friends because when it's all said and done the greatest treasure we have is our friends I wish to thank dutchy and the family for the great privilege of talking about my friend everybody's friend an honor that I'll always cherish I would like to conclude and using a phrase given to me by Harry's good friend Jack Brickhouse as long as one continues to live in the hearts of the minds the ones of the ones they left behind they're really not gone Terry had fun with the people and a lot of people had fun because of Barry the world will go on without Harry Caray but I guarantee it won't be as much fun I love you and I will forever miss you my friend thank you [Applause]

Channel: danmarren

Views: 36,164

Keywords: My, Video, 94

Id: JgPmTXI99Es

Length: 15min 8sec (908 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 03 2011