Fox’s Bizarre Harry Caray Hologram Got the Social Media Reaction You’d Expect

Also in Traina Thoughts: MLB people mock MLB’s streaming deals; the truth about that wild Antonio Brown post; Bill Belichick in midseason form and more.

1. I don’t like being cynical, but I’ve been doing this a long time and I just can’t help it. You will never convince me that Fox didn’t use a hologram of legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray on Thursday night’s Field of Dreams game between Chicago and Cincinnati just to get a reaction on social media.

I find it impossible to believe there was even one person at Fox who saw this during rehearsals and thought it was a good idea.

An all-time “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” only possible through the magic of Field of Dreams 🙏 pic.twitter.com/IC8yHrFZQT

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 12, 2022

I fully believe this was a case of what dominates the media landscape today: “Let’s do something wacky to get attention, even if it’s bad attention.” Fox easily could’ve played Caray’s classic rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame without the hologram and fans would’ve eaten it up.

Fox, like Aaron Rodgers with his memorable “immunized vs. vaccinated” defense, is now trying to use semantics to explain what the hell appeared on everyone’s screens during the seventh-inning stretch.

A spokesman for Fox Sports confirmed to The Washington Post that the representation of Caray was not a hologram, as it was widely referred to online Thursday, but something “closer to augmented reality.” https://t.co/slv6bG0KzM

— Post Sports (@PostSports) August 12, 2022

Whatever you call the Harry Caray “appearance,” it was a huge flop with viewers.

As I said on Twitter Thursday night, it looked more like Larry Bud Melman from David Letterman’s show than Caray.

Looks like Larry Bud Melman from the old Letterman show. https://t.co/A5ydQPRrtQ

— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) August 12, 2022

Here’s how other people reacted to Caray’s bizarre hologram/closer-to-augmented-reality cameo.

If MLB ever even thinks of doing a hologram Vin, I’ll lead a million fan march on New York.

— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) August 12, 2022

FOX SHOULD BE IN PRISON FOR DOING HARRY CARAY LIKE THIS pic.twitter.com/5DfNAZ4QIY

— DOM (@DOM_Frederic) August 12, 2022

Harry Caray watching that 7th inning stretch from above. pic.twitter.com/Ei211Ue74M

— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) August 12, 2022

There's a whole leg of Twitter freaking out about the former president possibly having stolen nuclear secrets and I don't know how they can concentrate on such frivolities when Hologram Harry Caray is on the loose

— Michael Baumann (@MichaelBaumann) August 12, 2022

To whoever thinks Harry Caray really looked like that. pic.twitter.com/iTMGuqXFfE

— Joey Ricotta (@JoeyKnowsNothin) August 12, 2022

The Harry Caray hologram is the Jobber of the Day. It's the worst thing since the Dio hologram. Just play old Harry Caray footage and call it a day. Holograms are dumb. YOU MAKE ME SICK! #JobberOfTheDay #Jobber pic.twitter.com/rioIyWjgjK

— Abe Kanan (@abekanan) August 12, 2022

my therapist: [whispering] and is this "Hologram Harry Caray" in the room with us right now?

— Tipping Pitches (@tipping_pitches) August 12, 2022

Hologram Harry Caray is perhaps the ultimate example of "just because you can doesn't mean you should"

— Listen Here Baseball Commissioner (@spacemnkymafia) August 12, 2022

I hope you had as much fun as I did watching the Field of Dreams game tonight. I love baseball and I thought the broadcast was an especially great showcase for the sport. Except for the creepy Harry Caray 7th inning stretch idea. That was bizarre. #TakeThat pic.twitter.com/opaU1Eqp8G

— David Kaplan (@thekapman) August 12, 2022

Still thinking about the Harry Caray hologram.

But more importantly the conference-room conversations leading up to the hologram. That's the real freak show.

— Kevin Warwick (@kevinwarwick) August 12, 2022

Here’s a very quick, easy, simple lesson for every single sports producer, director, executive, whatever out there: Don’t ever use any hologram ever. Just don’t.

2. Fox's John Smoltz revealed late in the Field of Dreams game last night that he lost his father earlier in the day. He explained why he decided to work the game in a very touching moment.

We are saddened to share the news that John Smoltz’s father, John Adam Smoltz, died earlier today. John took time during tonight’s broadcast to remember his father and look back on the memories they shared together. pic.twitter.com/6VcNsyNEAq

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 12, 2022

3. Loyal Traina Thoughts readers and SI Media Podcast listeners have heard me whine and complain about baseball's ridiculous streaming deals, so it warms my heart when people inside the sport also mock the fact that the sport has made it more difficult for local viewers to consume games. Let's start with Astros skipper Dusty Baker.

The Astros' game on Sunday in Cleveland aired on Peacock. Dusty Baker couldn't find a way to watch it in quarantine, so he opted for a Bob Marley documentary on Netflix instead.

"That was a pretty good afternoon," Baker said. "I followed the game on my phone."

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 11, 2022

And here is Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose on the team’s game being an AppleTV+ exclusive Friday night.

Looks like tonight’s game is on HGTV3 or Bravo, or something, so we will gladly welcome our expanded listening audience. @WayneRandazzo and I will be here for you on @wcbs880 with pre game at 6:30. I think tomorrow is on Weather Channel+ but no worries. It’s not an exclusive.

— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) August 12, 2022

4. I actually reached out to a prominent play-by-play guy last night to see whether he’d record a dramatic reading of Antonio Brown’s statement that went viral Thursday for me to post in today's Traina Thoughts. He politely declined, and thank goodness he did, because it turns out Brown didn’t come up with this surreal piece of work. He merely reposted it from a satire website. The important lesson here: Attribution is important.

Sincerely AB pic.twitter.com/O6mjJXOaHQ

— AB (@AB84) August 11, 2022

5. Doesn’t matter whether it’s the regular season, playoffs or preseason, Bill Belichick always brings the same energy he showed during his postgame press conference on Thursday after the Patriots’ exhibition game against the Giants.

6. This week's SI Media Podcast features two interviews plus our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment.

First up is Linda Cohn from ESPN. Cohn, who recently re-signed with the network, talks about being at ESPN for 30 years and anchoring more SportsCenters than any other host in the show’s history. Cohn discusses how she got started in the business, being given an ultimatum after her first two years at ESPN, her love of hockey and much more.

Great stuff from @lindacohn on the SI MEDIA PODCAST about what happened when ESPN introduced the scroll and the confusion it caused with anchors including @notthefakeSVP.https://t.co/xB8VRk1kTJ pic.twitter.com/VBpoEowDJM

— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) August 12, 2022

Following Cohn, former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz joins the podcast. Gewirtz, who has a book coming up next week titled There's Just One Problem, shares inside stories from his time writing Monday Night Raw from 1999 to 2012 and talks about what it was like to collaborate with The Rock, Mick Foley, Chris Jericho and more.

The podcast closes with “Traina Thoughts.” This week, Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY and I talk about Hard Knocks, a recent must-watch show from ESPN and why you can’t do back-to-back naps.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Will Ferrell as Harry Caray on Saturday Night Live in 1997. Enjoy.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.