Many of George H. McCaskey's fondest childhood memories took place at historic Wrigley Field on Chicago's North Side, where the Bears played from 1921-70.
From the time he was born until he was a freshman in high school, McCaskey spent countless Sundays alongside his brothers and sisters at the iconic ballpark watching their grandfather — legendary Hall of Fame owner and coach George Halas — coach their beloved Bears.
This past weekend, the Bears chairman reminisced on those memories while at Wrigley Field for a much different sporting event. McCaskey, who has long worked as a youth and high school sports official, served as an umpire for the world-famous Savannah Bananas — a professional exhibition baseball team that plays a fast-paced, entertainment-based form of the sport referred to as "Banana Ball."
"To be doing something that I love — umpiring the great game of baseball in a place that has so many happy memories from me as a kid being on the field watching the Bears and watching the Cubs," McCaskey said, "and then to be standing on the sideline that George Halas prowled up and down, of all things, berating the officials — a little bit about irony there — was a big thrill.
"I was in heaven out there."
McCaskey first heard of the Bananas when they played at Guaranteed Rate Field last summer. After seeing a few clips of their viral antics, he took a liking to their version of a sport he grew up loving. So when he received a call this spring from a fellow youth baseball umpire asking if he would be interested in working the Bananas' series at Wrigley Field, he immediately said yes.
The energy at The Friendly Confines throughout the weekend brought a sense of nostalgia for McCaskey and reminded him of Bears crowds decades earlier.
"I'm standing in the outfield, and I turn around, and I look at the stands to see 41,000 people, many of them decked out in yellow," McCaskey said. "Everybody's happy. Everybody's smiling. Everybody's having a good time. And I thought, 'How lucky am I? I'm not cool enough for this.'"
Leading up to the weekend, McCaskey was required to do some homework, including reading the Banana Ball rule book and scoring a perfect '100' on the open-book rules exam. One of the most prominent rule differences between baseball and Banana Ball is that a foul ball caught by a fan in the stands also counts as an out. The nonstop nature of the game means the umpires have to be on their toes at all times and in lockstep with one another. McCaskey is grateful for his crewmates — Vincent Chapman, Tom Crocker, Mike Strauss, Andrew Girard and Bryson Wheeler — who helped make the experience so enjoyable.
Even with a rule book, there's no telling what will end up happening during a Bananas game. The most surprising thing McCaskey witnessed was a player hitting the ball while on stilts. Players performed their typical choreographed dance routines, on-field acrobatics and random bits of entertainment. Cubs alumni David Ross, Kerry Wood and Ben Zobrist also made surprise appearances, which was an added bonus for McCaskey – a die-hard Cubs fan.
"Ben Zobrist got on base, and I had a chance to run over and tell him, 'I'm a lifelong Cubs fan, thank you,'" McCaskey said. "I didn't get a chance to say hello to the other guys, but that World Series championship in 2016, he was the hero, of course. I had told [Cubs owner] Tom Ricketts once, 'Just once during my lifetime. That's all I'm asking for.'"
While on the field for three consecutive days, McCaskey took several trips down memory lane, recalling some of his favorite moments at Wrigley Field. From watching Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers, two of the greatest players in NFL history, to laughter-filled rides in the station wagon with his family after Bears wins, to NFL championship victories, there was no shortage of memories to reflect on.
"The '63 Championship game, we were all there," McCaskey said. "It was so dang cold, but such a great result. If I had to point to one favorite memory, of course, that would have to be it. 14-10 over the Giants. December 29th, 1963. Defense had five interceptions. Great game, great team and Papa Bear's last championship."
For McCaskey, last weekend now lives in that same bank of fond Wrigley Field memories. Sure, when he recalls this moment, it will be different than the others. Instead of picturing George Halas celebrating his final championship title, he'll think about dancing on the field during his umpire introduction, but they're both memories the McCaskey family will cherish for years to come.
"The best part of the weekend was just being out on the field where so few people are allowed, and having a legitimate reason for being there," McCaskey said. "I was one of the down-the-line umpires, so I didn't have a lot of responsibilities. It was just 'fair ball' or 'foul ball.' But just being out there and taking it all in was mesmerizing."
