ST. LOUIS — Our Vintage KSDK goes back to October 9, 1969, when iconic Cardinals broadcaster Harry Caray was fired by Anheuser-Busch after 25 years of calling games for the team.
While holding a can of beer from a competitor, Caray told former KSDK sports reporter Ron Jacober in an interview that he was notified in a phone call.
"I am really hurt about it,” said Caray. “I want to wish them well. I certainly want to wish the ball club well and I want to wish Mr. August A. Busch Jr., mighty, mighty, mighty well. "
The brewery said marketing was the reason for the firing, which Caray didn't buy.
"I did hope that 25 years, and by I mean giving your heart, your soul, at least they would be man enough to call me and tell me,” said Caray. “And I don't buy this marketing thing."
Caray was beside himself.
"I like to believe I'm a pretty good baseball announcer, so I don't think it was because I didn't do a good job of broadcasting," Caray said. "There's got to be some other reason. And whatever the reason is."
Media reports at the time blamed sexual impropriety, which Carey denied. Jacober then asked about Caray’s successor.
"Harry, Jack Buck, it was announced, will take over as number one,” said Jacober.
Caray was very complimentary.
“And he's a fine man," Caray said. "He's a good announcer. I know he'll do a great job."
Jack Buck would go on to become a baseball icon in his own right, calling games for the Cardinals for 47 seasons.
Caray's firing touched off a fury among fans. A protest rally was held at the Musial statue in front of Busch Stadium the next day. Some gathered signatures on petitions to get him re-hired.
"It's a sad day, he was a very good man,” said one fan.
Another said, "I'm very very unhappy about it, and I think he's the finest broadcaster I ever heard, anywhere at any time."
And another fan almost couldn’t find words, saying "I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it."
Caray was a St. Louis native who would go on to call games for the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox.
He would become an icon again, spending the last 16 years of his career calling Chicago Cubs games, using his signature exclamation “Holy Cow!” to describe outstanding plays on the field.
Caray was honored in 1989 with the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for his contributions to baseball.
The same year, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, and also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.