ST. LOUIS -- "My whole philosophy," said Harry Caray, "is to broadcast the way a fan would broadcast."

For Caray, this is easy. As listeners of KMOX and the 90-station radio network know, Harry is the Cardinals' No. 1 rooter. A man who speaks his mind, the colorful aircaster has survived storms of controversy and changes of club ownership and sponsors to last 22 years with his beloved Redbirds.

Among fans, there is little middle ground concerning Caray. As one sports writer put it: "You either love him like the rich uncle who just paid off the mortgage on the old homestead, or you consider him several notches below the guy who smashed the fender on your new Rolls-Royce."

A Great Paradox

Caray's self-appraisal: "I'm a heck of a paradox. Some people think I'm always so favorable to the Cardinals and some people think I'm always so critical of them. I guess it comes down to your style of broadcasting."

Harry's style is enthusiastic and emotional, and veteran listeners believe they can detect his feelings -- his dejection or elation -- by the inflection of his voice. Tune in to Harry, they say, and you can tell who is winning without hearing the score.

If a fan doesn't like the way the 48-year-old Caray broadcasts, maybe he should write a letter to the station, contending he could do better. That's exactly what Caray did in 1942, and the St. Louis radio executive was so impressed with his approach and subsequent audition, he advised the young fan 10 go to a smaller station end learn the ropes.

Overcame Competition

He did -- at places like Joliet, Ill., and Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids, Mich. -- and soon h was back home in St. Louis. In the early years, Caray and partner Gabby Street were in competition with two other air teams on Cardinals' games.

Although Caray had never called even a minor league game and was on one of the area's weaker-powered stations, his electric approach and ex-manager Street's captivating color comments soon built a large following. In 1947, Cardinal Owner Sam Breadon awarded Griesedieck Bros. beer, the Caray-Street sponsor, an exclusive contract.

Gabby Like a Father

To Caray, Gabby Street was like a father. "He was such a great influence on me -- I was just a kid when I started out and he guided me along. Gabby was a great philosophizer. He was born 30 years too soon; today he'd be a national figure. Gabby was perfect -- he'd always have a humorous story in fit a situation on the field and, to go along with it. He was a great baseball analyst."

After Street's death in 1951, two other ex-catchers -- Gus Mancuso and Joe Garagiola -- were among Caray's partners. Today his air aid is Jack Buck, who joined the team 12 years ago. With help from Jerry Gross, they also handle telecasts for 22 road games. Caray's son, Skip, does pre-game fan interviews.

When Anheuser-Busch bought the Cards in 1953, president Gussie Busch wasn't anxious to retain a broadcaster who had been selling another company's beer for several years. But a barrage of petitions from fans and unanimous approval by the firm's beer distributors in the listening area changed Busch's mind. Caray stayed.

Busch became one of Harry's biggest boosters and sent him on a winter trip to Bavaria to gather background material for beer commercials.

Hazed in Dugout

The players like to rib Caray. Once, when rain caused a long pre-game delay, he went into the Cards' dugout for interviews. As he conducted the show, players swiped his glasses, mussed his hair, dropped ice down his shirt, twisted his ears and gave him hotfoots. Harry gamely continued, finally signing off when the playful Birds tried to remove his trousers.

Another time, Harry invaded the top row of the left field bleachers at old Busch Stadium to get a fan's eye-view. The bleacherites really gave him the business when he gave a graphic description of a catch by center fielder Curt Flood -- even though the play was at the base of the wall, out of sight.

Through it all, most newspapermen consider Caray a good reporter, exhibiting nimble accuracy on fast-moving plays and a knack for the penetrating question on interviews. His scoops are many.

And for a guy so pro-St. Louis, his greatest radio thrill came in a game that didn't even involve the Cardinals. He was at the mike when the Giants defeated the Dodgers for the 1951 pennant on Bobby Thornton's dramatic homer.

'It Might Be . . . "

Home runs prompt Harry's suspenseful, "It might he, it could he, it is!" routine as the ball heads toward the wall. His favorite exclamation, actually patented, is "Holy Cow!"

Ever the optimist, Harry Caray's joy is unrestrained whenever the team encounters success. For example, in a 1964 game at San Francisco, a Cardinal pitcher had just driven in two runs with a double.

"I can't believe it!" Harry chortled. "Roger Craig hit the left-center field wall! The Cardinals are going to win the pennant!"

That prediction was made on April 17, during the fourth game of the year. One hundred and seventy days later, on the last day of the season, they did.