“Pin-Up” of the Week: Harry Caray’s Restaurant Group Pin

Baseball has been around for a long time.  Over the years it has seen it’s share of colorful characters.  One of those colorful characters would have to be former broadcaster Harry Caray.

Harry Caray called games for the St. Louis Browns/Cardinals, Oakland A’s, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs.  Chicago is where he is known for doing his best work.  He loved getting the crowd to sing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the 7th inning stretch.  That was his signature thing to do along with those big glasses and funny catch phrases.  He occasionally liked to get off topic too.  I can still see Will Ferrell doing him on Saturday Night Live.

Like a lot of popular sports figures, Harry Caray got into the restaurant business.  Its not that uncommon for them to fizzle out after a few years, but Harry Caray’s restaurants are still going strong.  The Harry Caray Restaurant Group currently has seven restaurants under their management.  They opened their first place, Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse in 1987, and it just snowballed from there.  They even have a place in Rosemont for those collectors looking to attend the National next year.

Pins like this pop-up for sale every now and then.  They don’t sell for too much, about $12.00.

“Pin-Up” of the Week: Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant Logo Lapel Pin

Athletes can have a pretty big appetite.  Given all their fame and fortune it shouldn’t surprise you that when they retire many of them open up their own restaurants.  Some succeed while countless others fail.  One restaurant that hung in there for over two decades was the New York City based Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant.  Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant was located in Central Park South and was opened for business from 1988 to June of last year.  The restaurant was filled with sports memorabilia and it wasn’t uncommon to find Mantle himself working the room, signing autographs for customers, and having a drink with his fans while he was alive.  What was Mantle’s favorite item on the menu?  Chicken-fried steak.

Other famous sports figures that have opened their own restaurants include Don Shula, Pete Rose, and Billy Sims.

Schlotzsky’s Comes Through

If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen this last night, but earlier this year I was contacted by a marketing firm asking if I’d like to be part of a promotional campaign for the Schlotzsky’s Restaurant chain.  After I agreed, they sent me a bat holder & three trading cards that you would normally acquire after purchasing a meal at Schlotzsky’s.  All I had to do was send in a creative picture of the cards and in return receive a personalized mini bat.  Yesturday the UPS man dropped off a package from The Cooperstown Bat Company and inside was the inscribed bat.  I was expecting this little skinny thing you normally would see at a souvenir shop, but thats far from what it is.  Its actually about the size of a billy club and looks really cool.

This is the picture I used for the promotion.  These bobbleheads talk to me and tell me what products to buy 🙂  It might sound crazy, but its true.  Don’t yours do the same?

Schlotzsky’s Mailday!

The other day I received a wooden bat holder in the mail from The Cooperstown Bat Company and at first I had no clue why it was sent to me.  Then it all started to come together.  About a week ago I was contacted by Matrixx Pictures, which is a marketing firm out in California, and they wanted to know if they could send me something.  Little did I know that was the first part.  Matrixx Pictures is doing a promotional campaign for Schlotzsky’s, which is a restaurant franchise.  Today in the mail I received another package containing three different colored baseball cards.  Once I take a photo of these cards and upload them next week to their website, if I am one of the first 1,000 people I could win a personalized mini-bat.  I thinks that cool!  

When I started Sports Card Info, I never thought I would sponsored by Press Pass and have marketing companies like Matrixx Pictures want me to take part in a massive marketing campaign.  I love cards and blogging 🙂

By the way, you should check out the Schlotzsky’s Big League Club website.  They have a very addicting baseball game you can play for free.