The Cubs' luck could change big time Thursday.
The theme for the 17th annual day-long "Toast to Harry Caray" is "Back to the Future Part II." Michael Lantieri, the special effects director who created the DeLorean "time machine," will attend the event with his "Mr. Fusion home energy reactor" to add extra power to the movie's prediction that the Cubs will win the World Series in 2015.
"For the 'Toast to Harry' ceremony we will be putting Cub-related artifacts from the last 107 years into Mr. Fusion to give the Cubs the necessary energy they need to finally win the World Series this year," Lantieri said.
Following Lantieri's Mr. Fusion performance will be the "biggest toast ever," Grant DePorter, CEO of Harry Caray's Restaurant Group, said.
Dutchie Caray, the late Harry Caray's wife, will toast her husband at 6:30 p.m. at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse in River North. Ernie Banks and Minnie Minoso will also be honored with toasts from Billy Williams and Ron Kittle, respectively.
"He was a great guy, and I miss him," Dutchie Caray said of her late husband. "I miss all his laughs and fun. We used to have a great time together."
The "Toast to Harry Caray" is celebrated around the world annually around the anniversary of Caray's birth. The event celebrates the famed baseball broadcaster with events throughout the day beginning at 5 a.m.
Local
To honor "Back to the Future," Harry's Bar in River North will transform into "Cafe 80's" and play music from the decade.
One lucky fan could also win the DeLorean time machine from the Volo Auto Museum, but only if the Cubs win the World Series this year.
