Phillies Broadcaster Harry Kalas dies at 73

[wdm1219inpenna]

In an age and in an era where Major League Baseball has lost me as a fan, even I have the Phillies game on today at this moment. Bob Boone is talking w/"Sarge" & Tom McCarthy. I give Tom, Sarge & Chris Wheeler all the credit in the world for being consumate professionals today, just hours after Harry's untimely death. I used to listen to Tom on ESPN Radio, a show he hosted called "Philly Sports Live". He was okay on it, and as an announcer I thought he was ok too, but today he's really earned his stripes with me.

I'm comforted to know that Harry lived to not only see the '08 Phils win it all, but that he was able to be behind the mike when they won it, unlike in 1980, which is a crying shame. And I'm not a Philadelphia sports fan at all, and Harry Kalas was such a class act, that he even has ME, and he's had ME because of his incredible voice. He & John Facenda were the voices of NFL Films too, and it's sad that there are virtually no classic announcers left hardly. Vin Scully with the Dodger organization since their days in Brooklyn is the only one that springs to mind.

I had the great good fortune of growing up in Ewing NJ during my childhood, and we were able to get both New York & Philadelphia tv stations, so I grew up listening to Kalas announcing. He began w/the Phils in 1971, when I was just 4 years old, so I do not ever remember a time when the Phillies did not have Harry as their announcer, until today.

Mr. Rogers dying, Bob Barker retiring, Phil Rizzuto dying, Harry Kalas dying, the few things that still remained from my distant past, my very early youth, are disappearing faster and faster all the time. I'm 42 now, and while MLB has lost me as a fan, I'll forever have fond memories of a really terrific broadcaster, and a genuine gentleman, Harry Kalas. I know Harry would be touched to know that he's being remembered first and foremost as a really decent guy, and a gracious gentleman. And I have no doubt that Harry would have wanted this game to commence. I guess we can take comfort too that Harry was found in the broadcast booth earlier today, and it seems only appropriate that he died preparing to do what he loved most. Rest in peace Mr. Kalas. My condolences to his family, the Phillies broadcast team, the Phillies organization, and all Phillie & baseball fans.

[Shumway]

Wow, what a shock this was today. A buddy of mine texted me while I was at work and broke the news. Although I'm not a Phils fan, I watch roughly half of their games throughout the course of the season, and it's damn near impossible not to love Kalas as an announcer. I don't think watching a game will ever be the same again.

[BBTV]

Was just listening to the radio broadcast on my ride home, and they were barely able to stay focused on the game (not that I blame them.) Harry always had it worked into his contract that he was able to do the middle-three innings of the game on radio, since radio is "true" broadcasting, and he never wanted to let that go.

Larry Andersen (radio color) is especially distraught, and took out some of his frustration on the Nationals. After what sounded like a great catch by Millige in the outfield, he stated something like "that should have been an easy catch, but this guy has no idea how to play the position. It should be no surprise to anyone why this team is 0-6. The real surprise is how some of these guys are even in the major leagues." After another Millege catch in the same inning, he said "that is just disgusting. Yeah, go ahead and pat your chest and celebrate with your teammates. They should be in your face right now because that's just terrible."

[BBTV]

For you, Harry -

"Swing and a long drive... deep center field... watch that baby... aught-a here! Home run Ryan Howard, Phillies lead 7-4."

Let's hope they keep this lead - it'd be a shame to drop this one.

EDIT:

"Long drive... deep left field... aughta here! Home run Raul Ibanez, Phillies lead 8-4."

[BigEd76]

Phils win 9-8

R.I.P. Harry

[NoHoJoe]

RIP Harry.

Hope they don't play today.

Phillies won 9-8 over the Nationals.

I heard Ryan Howard say on WPHT after the game that He (Kalas) was looking forward to see President Obama Tomorrow.

Twenty minutes later, he died.

RENAME CITIZENS BANK PARK HARRY KALAS PARK!!!!

[raysox]

Very sad news. Finding him dead in the box must've been horible.

I think his son Todd won't be broadcasting Rays games for a few days too.

[mjrbaseball]

Harry and Whitey Ashburn are reunited. RIP.

[Swiss]

I can honestly say I've never been as affected by a non-family death as I am by this. He was the voice of every game I listened to since I was 5 years old. I'm just glad he was able to call a World Series win before he died, since he was barred from calling it in '80.

Why was he barred from call the 1980 WS?

BTW, my condolences to his family and friends.

[BadSeed84]

I hope they are REPLACING the world series patch with the harry kalas patch, instead of just adding it to the one sleeve.

It was a silly idea anyway to have world champions on our home uniforms all season anyways.

[BB61]

Why was he barred from call the 1980 WS?

Because under the broadcast arrangement at the time, local broadcasts were not allowed during the World Series. He did do the television PbP of the NLCS that year, though.

[patsox]

Guy had one of the more beautiful voices in baseball and it's sad to see him go. I must say it seems fitting that he would die in the broadcast booth. You will be missed, Harry.

[BBTV]

Why was he barred from call the 1980 WS?

Because under the broadcast arrangement at the time, local broadcasts were not allowed during the World Series. He did do the television PbP of the NLCS that year, though.

It's partially because of the outcry of Phillies fans back in '80 that the rule was changed in '81 to allow for local radio coverage. The "Harry Kalas Rule" if you will.

I can't remember the last time I cried.

I cried today.

[WJMorris3]

How wonderful was it, when Shane Victorino homered in the third today, that he went and pointed up to the booth, kinda in memorial?

Harry, I'll never forget listening to you call Phils games... you'll be missed deeply.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

Think about this. Someone had to succeed John Facenda at NFL Films after his passing. That someone was Harry Kalas.

It is unusual to have to think of Phillies baseball without Harry the K at the microphone. Just as it was never going to be the same after Whitey Ashburn's death in 1997, baseball, the Phillies, the NFL, heck even the Puppy Bowl, will go on. They'll just have to get by without one of the legends of broadcasting.

Though inimitable, I will always think of Kalas for the following. The beauty of the Kalas-isms below is that if someone went with these today, they'd be passed off as trying too hard, and going for schtick, but with Harry, they just fit.

• the signature home run call, "Outta Here!"
  
• a punctuated "Struck him out!" after strike three
  
• extending the phrase "Double play" on particularly impressive twin killings
  
• pronouncing 11 as "e-o-leven"
  
• extending out notable second baseman "Mick-ey Mor-an-di-ni"
  
• referring to the HOF third baseman on many an occasion as "Michael Jack Schmidt"
  

Gene Hart was and always will be Flyers hockey. Merrill Reese is and always will be Eagles football. You see where I am going with this.

Thanks for all of the memories, H. To say you'll be missed is a massive understatement.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

Wish I could find a clip of his call of Michael Jack's 500th home run in Pittsburgh.

4:50 mark of this video tribute to Harry the K. Also take note of the Mitch Williams GW-RBI at 4:40 in the AM. That's somewhere after 2:00.

Still in shock.

[infrared41]

I remember him mostly from the NFL Films. But He was one of the greats. R.I.P

Same here. I had never heard him call a baseball game until I got XM Radio a couple of years ago. I have to say it took me a little while to get used to hearing the NFL Films guy calling baseball.

He was indeed one of the greats. It's going to be tough to fill his spot behind the microphone.

[BBTV]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/200904..._SPECIFIED.html

Harry got it all. He got baseball and he got life on the road. He got how lucky he was to have that voice that everyone knew and that manner that made everyone his friend. He got Philadelphia, got it so well that he became part of the civic landscape. He got us, and that's not easy.

The birds stopped singing in Rittenhouse Square yesterday. The tugboats on the Delaware couldn't sound their horns. When the carriage horses took their customers around Independence Hall, there was no clop-clopping on the cobblestones. The factory whistle wouldn't let anyone leave work. Kids burst from their school rooms and didn't utter a peep.

Philadelphia went quiet yesterday afternoon. Harry Kalas died at the ballpark, and the city lost its voice.

I seriously can't take any more of this on TV. I've caught myself crying like a woman twice now.

I realized last year, once they essentially signed his replacement and it was obvious that he was starting to slip a bit that I couldn't take him for granted anymore. I tried hard then to prepare myself for the eventual day that he wouldn't be on the radio or on the TV talking to me, because that's what it was like - he wasn't "broadcasting" - he was telling me, Andy, what was happening. Just like down the street, he was talking to Mike. Somewhere in Jersey, he was talking to Steve.

I made a conscious effort not to take him for granted, but he made it too easy. I guess that's part of his greatness. I'm 31 years old, but only today, am I no longer a kid. An era is over, and it's time to celebrate the time we had, and not feel sorry for what is no longer there (MUCH easier said than done.) A new generation of children will grow up with their own voice, but it's tough to imagine that in this day and age, anyone will be able to have the same impact and longevity as Harry the K.

We're blessed to live in a major media market, where we were treated to Gene Hart (until his death with the Flyers) and Merrill Reese. While those HOFers are (or were) local treasures, the very nature of the sport of baseball creates an environment ripe with opportunities to connect with your audience, and few have ever managed to accomplish that like Harry. I don't know what (if anything) comes after life, but for Harry's sake, I hope he's having a cigar with His Whiteness right now. To steal one of his recently trademarked lines, "Harry Kalas - you are the man."

[BBTV]

Just heard Schilling sounding like he was close to breaking down about it.

Former Inquirer beat-writer Jayson Stark initial reaction.

[cmm]

I found out about Harry at tonight's Mets game...I was shocked. I never heard him broadcast any baseball games, but I think of him as the voice of NFL Films and Inside the NFL since I'm too young to remember Facenda. And he showed his sense of humor serving as the voice of the Puppy Bowl the past few years.

At least he got to see his team win it all one more time last year.

My condolences to all of the board's Phillies fans.