Posted by ALL CAPS on March 23, 2011 at 18:27:27:
‘Great Day SA’ voice nixes Cubs job; ‘Top Chef’ tour coming
Posted on 03/22/2011 by jjakle
Joe Caruso, former radio jock and current “Great Day SA” announcer, said he made the Top Four in auditions for the new voice of Wrigley Field, a.k.a. the P.A. announcer for Chicago Cubs games.
“It was my childhood dream,” Caruso — a Chicago native who now lives in San Antonio with his wife, former KABB anchorwoman Cynthia Lee — said of the opportunity that had him reaching the finals for the job.
However, in a mind-boggling move today, Caruso (seen in photo during his most recent audition at Wrigley Field) turned down the potential offer. “We couldn’t come to terms,” he said. “When everything was put on the table, I had to turn it down.” Caruso explained that the gig turned out to be a part-time one and the salary wasn’t good enough to warrant a move to Chicago.
Caruso, who was last heard on local radio as Magic 105 (KSMG-FM) morning man a few years back, said his media relations business here, Caruso Media, is doing well. He also is making good money singing pop classics and old standards at various private and public functions. Besides, the Chicago job would require him to live away for a time from wife Lee, who is busy in San Antonio with her own media gigs.
What a shame! I was excited when I learned that Caruso, whose last audition happened at Wrigley Field last week, when he was given a script for an entire Cubs game, made the Top 25. That was out of 5500 who presented audition tapes. View his first audition tape that landed him there here.
Then, late Monday, he announced giddily on Facebook this development: He made the Top 4!
Ah well, some dreams, I guess, aren’t meant to be realized.