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Superstation WGN...what are you thinking?!?!

Re: Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray (Was: Re: The Sox on WGN)

Brickhouse retired after the 1981 season. Caray was fired by the Sox after that season, also. Milo Hamilton was to have been the Cubs' lead announcer for 1982, but Tribune (who IIRC had just taken control of the Cubs during the previous season) couldn't turn down the chance to hire Caray, who was paired with a very unhappy Hamilton.
Hamilton left after the '82 season and was hired by the Astros, where he remains to this day (although he will only work home games beginning next season). He reportedly is *still* angry at how he was treated by Tribune, and to this day has nothing good to say abouy Harry, Skip or Chip.
Caray and Stone weren't simulcast on radio...Caray would work innings 1-3 and 7-9 on TV, and the middle innings on radio, while their radio play-by-play guy (depending on the year, Dewayne Staats, Thom Brennaman, Josh Lewin, among others) would do the middle innings on TV.
 
WGN & WTBS - The good ol days

I know why the have to do this, but it's just no fun anymore. I used to like seeing the local WTBS and WGN stuff.
I remember when you could usually catch a channel 17 ID by accident on WTBS "Superstation"

> > Is channel 9 WGN also fed to the satellite (for smaller
> > markets without a WB affiliate)?
> >
> No -- ch.9 is strictly for Chicagoland. It is on the small
> dishes, but only if you live in Chicago, or have ExpressVu
> in Canada (they carry ch.9, while Star Choice and cable
> carry the Superstation). Most smaller markets have the
> "100+" WB feed, made specifically for them.
>
 
Re: Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray (Was: Re: The Sox on WGN)

> Brickhouse retired after the 1981 season. Caray was fired by
> the Sox after that season, also. Milo Hamilton was to have
> been the Cubs' lead announcer for 1982, but Tribune (who
> IIRC had just taken control of the Cubs during the previous
> season) couldn't turn down the chance to hire Caray, who was
> paired with a very unhappy Hamilton.

In Curt Smith's book, he recounts how Hamilton - in his telling of it - was told he would be Brickhouse's replacement, and was introduced as such in Brickhouse's final game with "and now, the voice of the Cubs for years to come, Milo Hamilton..."

Caray, meanwhile, didn't fit in with the Reinsdorf ownership, which was trying to take the Sox upmarket to sell luxury boxes (Reinsdorf's comments about this turned Bill Veeck away from the team he had owned twice; Veeck finished his days as a Cubs fan). So Caray was available and the Cubs, seeing what he had done to boost Sox attendance at a time the team was about to move.
 
Re: Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray (Was: Re: The Sox on WGN)

> Brickhouse retired after the 1981 season. Caray was fired by
> the Sox after that season, also.

Actually, Caray's contract was up; he wasn't fired and he wasn't "transferred" by WGN since Harry worked directly for the Sox. The Cubs announcers were employees of WGN, not the Cubs, which I believe is true even today under common Tribune ownership. IIRC, the broadcasters' paychecks read "WGN" and not "Chicago Cubs."

Reinsdorf offered Harry a new deal and he turned it down. With the Sox going to SportsVision with only about 40 games on WFLD (they left WGN after that one season but would return in 1990), Harry figured that his blue-collar fan-base wouldn't pay $20 a month to watch Sox games and he'd lose his audience. He was right. That SportsVision debacle was a major reason why the Cubs became the #1 team in town in the '80s.

> Milo Hamilton was to have
> been the Cubs' lead announcer for 1982, but Tribune (who
> IIRC had just taken control of the Cubs during the previous
> season) couldn't turn down the chance to hire Caray, who was
> paired with a very unhappy Hamilton.
> Hamilton left after the '82 season and was hired by the
> Astros, where he remains to this day (although he will only
> work home games beginning next season). He reportedly is
> *still* angry at how he was treated by Tribune, and to this
> day has nothing good to say abouy Harry, Skip or Chip.

Milo's blaming the wrong guy. He should be blaming Brickhouse, who acted in his position as the VP of Sports for WGN-TV when he brought in Caray. Caray would bring in more viewers and ad dollars than Hamilton and that's why Jack hired Harry over Milo. Brickhouse later admitted he handled it badly but it was the right decision.

Milo Hamilton is a competent play-by-play man, nothing more and nothing less. Haray Caray was a legend. I have a feeling that even if Harry had decided to stay with the Sox, Brickhouse would have brought in a Vin Scully or Phil Rizutto if either was available (and they weren't) over Hamilton. This was a business decision done in the best interests of WGN-TV.

And, no, Milo still hasn't gotten over it.
<a target="_blank" href=http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-051012mitchell,1,76246,print.column?coll=cs-columnists&ctrack=1&cset=true> Link: ChicagoSports.com</a>

> Caray and Stone weren't simulcast on radio...Caray would
> work innings 1-3 and 7-9 on TV, and the middle innings on
> radio, while their radio play-by-play guy (depending on the
> year, Dewayne Staats, Thom Brennaman, Josh Lewin, among
> others) would do the middle innings on TV.

IIRC, Josh Lewin never did radio for the Cubs. Vince Lloyd and Lou Boudreau were still around those first few years. I don't remember Harry doing radio with the Cubs unless they weren't on TV for some reason. In any case, he didn't while Vince and Lou were still there (through 1986).
 
Re: WGN vs. WGN superstaton?

Thanks for taking the time to post the local vs. national WGN schedule, KM. I can't help but wonder why Superstation WGN doesn't carry "Friends" or "Everybody Loves Raymond." I assume both have been cleared for national broadcast (and thus not subject to SYNDEX rules) seeing as how TBS has reruns of the popular sitcoms on their line-up.


> 6:00 Friends (America's Funniest Home Videos)
> 6:30 Everybody Loves Raymond (Videos cont'd)
 
Re: Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray (Was: Re: The Sox on WGN)

> > Brickhouse retired after the 1981 season. Caray was fired
> by
> > the Sox after that season, also.
>
> Actually, Caray's contract was up; he wasn't fired and he
> wasn't "transferred" by WGN since Harry worked directly for
> the Sox. The Cubs announcers were employees of WGN, not the
> Cubs, which I believe is true even today under common
> Tribune ownership. IIRC, the broadcasters' paychecks read
> "WGN" and not "Chicago Cubs."
>
> Reinsdorf offered Harry a new deal and he turned it down.
> With the Sox going to SportsVision with only about 40 games
> on WFLD (they left WGN after that one season but would
> return in 1990), Harry figured that his blue-collar fan-base
> wouldn't pay $20 a month to watch Sox games and he'd lose
> his audience. He was right. That SportsVision debacle was
> a major reason why the Cubs became the #1 team in town in
> the '80s.
>
> > Milo Hamilton was to have
> > been the Cubs' lead announcer for 1982, but Tribune (who
> > IIRC had just taken control of the Cubs during the
> previous
> > season) couldn't turn down the chance to hire Caray, who
> was
> > paired with a very unhappy Hamilton.
> > Hamilton left after the '82 season and was hired by the
> > Astros, where he remains to this day (although he will
> only
> > work home games beginning next season). He reportedly is
> > *still* angry at how he was treated by Tribune, and to
> this
> > day has nothing good to say abouy Harry, Skip or Chip.
>
> Milo's blaming the wrong guy. He should be blaming
> Brickhouse, who acted in his position as the VP of Sports
> for WGN-TV when he brought in Caray. Caray would bring in
> more viewers and ad dollars than Hamilton and that's why
> Jack hired Harry over Milo. Brickhouse later admitted he
> handled it badly but it was the right decision.
>
> Milo Hamilton is a competent play-by-play man, nothing more
> and nothing less. Haray Caray was a legend. I have a
> feeling that even if Harry had decided to stay with the Sox,
> Brickhouse would have brought in a Vin Scully or Phil
> Rizutto if either was available (and they weren't) over
> Hamilton. This was a business decision done in the best
> interests of WGN-TV.
>
> And, no, Milo still hasn't gotten over it.
> Link: ChicagoSports.com
>
> > Caray and Stone weren't simulcast on radio...Caray would
> > work innings 1-3 and 7-9 on TV, and the middle innings on
> > radio, while their radio play-by-play guy (depending on
> the
> > year, Dewayne Staats, Thom Brennaman, Josh Lewin, among
> > others) would do the middle innings on TV.
>
> IIRC, Josh Lewin never did radio for the Cubs. Vince Lloyd
> and Lou Boudreau were still around those first few years. I
> don't remember Harry doing radio with the Cubs unless they
> weren't on TV for some reason. In any case, he didn't while
> Vince and Lou were still there (through 1986).
>

Harry would do middle innings on radio and the majority of the play by play when the game was not on WGN. I think he stopped doing the middle innings on radio in the mid 90's after the baseball strike when he cut back his schedule and only did home games with a few exceptions such as road trips to Atlanta, St. Louis and New York.
 
Re: WGN vs. WGN superstaton?

> Thanks for taking the time to post the local vs. national
> WGN schedule, KM. I can't help but wonder why Superstation
> WGN doesn't carry "Friends" or "Everybody Loves Raymond." I
> assume both have been cleared for national broadcast (and
> thus not subject to SYNDEX rules) seeing as how TBS has
> reruns of the popular sitcoms on their line-up.

You just answered your own question.

Warner Brothers sells two syndication packages for those shows - one for local markets, one for national cable. WGN Chicago bought the local rights (as, I think, did the other Tribune stations around the country), but TBS (and not Superstation WGN) bought the national cable rights. <P ID="signature">______________
Tower Site Calendar 2006 JUST RELEASED! - <a target="_blank" href=http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html#calendar>www.fybush.com</a></P>
 
Re: Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray (Was: Re: The Sox on WGN)

> In Curt Smith's book,

"Voices of the Game", I believe the title was.

So Caray was available and the
> Cubs, seeing what he had done to boost Sox attendance at a
> time the team was about to move.
>

To St. Petersburg and their brand new dome, IIRC. But a last minute legislative deal in Springfield headed that off.

ixnay
 
The Sox possible move to Florida

> So Caray was available and the Cubs, seeing what he had done to boost Sox attendance at a time the team was about to move.
>
> To St. Petersburg and their brand new dome, IIRC. But a last minute legislative deal in Springfield headed that off.

That was a few years later. Harry went to the Cubs in 1982. The deal to build new Comiskey Park was done in 1988.
 
Re: The Sox possible move to Florida

> > So Caray was available and the Cubs, seeing what he had
> done to boost Sox attendance at a time the team was about to
> move.
> >
> > To St. Petersburg and their brand new dome, IIRC. But a
> last minute legislative deal in Springfield headed that off.
>
>
> That was a few years later. Harry went to the Cubs in 1982.
> The deal to build new Comiskey Park was done in 1988.
>
Where were the Sox toying with moving to in '82?

ixnay
 
Re: The Sox possible move to Florida

> Where were the Sox toying with moving to in '82?

When the new stadium talk started, they were talking about sites in suburban Addison and Hoffman Estates. Environmental issues killed the Addison site and I don't remember what happened with Hoffman Estates. But this was in 1985 or thereabouts.

I don't remember them talking about a new park yet in '82, although it was obvious that old Comiskey Park was falling apart even before that.

They've almost left Chicago several times: Milwaukee (1969, but the Seattle Pilots' move there the next year killed that), Seattle (1975, with the Oakland A's moving to Chicago at the same time), Denver (1980), and St. Petersburg (1988).
 
Re: The Sox possible move to Florida

> They've almost left Chicago several times: Milwaukee (1969,
> but the Seattle Pilots' move there the next year killed
> that), Seattle (1975, with the Oakland A's moving to Chicago
> at the same time), Denver (1980), and St. Petersburg (1988).
>

I was only a kid at the time, but I remember there being a lot of talk about the A's moving to Denver in the late 70s.
 
Re: The Sox possible move to Florida

> > They've almost left Chicago several times: Milwaukee
> (1969,
> > but the Seattle Pilots' move there the next year killed
> > that), Seattle (1975, with the Oakland A's moving to
> Chicago
> > at the same time), Denver (1980), and St. Petersburg
> (1988).
> >

The near-move to Milwaukee was what I meant - it was clear the Sox could be had for a song. They came closest in 1975, but Veeck bought the team and messed up baseball's plans to move them to Denver and the A's to Chicago (where Charlie O. Finley would be closer to his home and out of the Bay Area). In fact, at the meetings, one writer saw Gene Autry with Finley and quipped Autry was going to sing "I'm Back in Seattle Again," a play on "I'm Back in the Saddle Again."

As it was, the White Sox played games in Milwaukee in 1968 and 1969, one against each American League team.
 
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