cover image Holy Cow!

Holy Cow!

David Israel, Bob Verdi, Harry Caray. Villard Books, $17.95 (246pp) ISBN 978-0-394-57418-9

Caray has logged 45 years as a sports broadcaster, known for his coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Oakland As and the Chicago White Sox and Cubs. Writing with Chicago Tribune sports columnist Verdi ( McMahon! ), he recaps his decades in the booth, paying special attention to the owners he has dealt with, particularly Gussie Busch, Charley Finley and Bill Veeck. He also explains his philosophy of success in the booth, which is to think of himself primarily as a fan explaining the game to his fellow fans and pointing out players' failures as well as strengths. In this lackluster memoir, he recalls players he has admired, beginning with his all-time favorite, Stan Musial, and including Reggie Jackson, Richie Allen and Ryne Sandberg. He concludes with a look at the Cubs' prospects for 1989. Author tour. (Mar.)