Jack Brickhouse (left) exposed Chicago-area TV viewers to the personalities of Ernie Banks (right) and Billy Williams.
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 17, 2017
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting classic interviews from the archives of CBM historian George Castle’s “Diamond Gems” syndicated weekly baseball radio show, which aired from 1994 to 2010.
This edition features an excerpt of an Aug. 1997 hour-long tribute to Hall of Fame Chicago baseball announcer Jack Brickhouse, taped a year prior to his death at 82. In this clip, Brickhouse recalls how he handled early TV interviews with future Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Billy Williams, who were reticent to open up conversationally in the start of their careers. Brickhouse also remembers how he worked with Banks when the latter became a part-time WGN sportscaster in the late 1960s.
“The Diamond Gems Flashback” also features photos of the interviewees from the one-of-a-kind Leo Bauby Photo Collection, emphasizing Chicago baseball. Many photos are available to the general public directly on Ebay via seller name Soxphotos soxphotos | eBay.
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