On the way to the IronPigs game this afternoon I tuned into the Phillies' pregame show and learned that a couple of hours earlier Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas had collapsed at the ballpark and died. It was a total shock. Larry Andersen and Scott Franzke were obviously stunned, their voices breaking and rough with emotion. As a tribute to Kalas, they scrapped the pregame show and in its place played his radio broadcast of the final inning of the World Series last year. It brought a smile, which is pretty much what Kalas did throughout his long baseball career in Philadelphia.Harry Kalas was a superb broadcaster, with a fabulous tobacco-and-bourbon voice. He started broadcasting major league baseball with the Houston Astros, but in 1971 came to Philadelphia. His work with longtime partner Richie Ashburn, who died in 1997, was legendary among generations of Phillies' fans. The voice of the Phillies, Kalas was beloved. In return, he loved baseball, loved the players, and loved the fans. His signature home run call--Outta h-e-e-e-re!--was classic, often imitated but never duplicated. Classic, too, was his rendition of High Hopes, which he often sang with players and fans. Swing and a long drive. Swing and a miss. Struck him out. All are very Harry the K.
In 1980 when the Phillies won the World Series it was still an MLB rule that only national announcers did World Series broadcasts. That meant that hometown fans did not get to hear 'their' broadcasters do the games. Philadelphia fans raised such a protest and outcry that in 1981 MLB chanced that rule and radio broadcasts by the home teams were permitted. Such was the popularity of Kalas and Ashburn. Kalas' final call of the 2008 World Series will live forever.
There was a moment of silence before the 'Pigs game for Kalas. The same was done before the opener at the Nationals' park in Washington, too. Just as the silence started there, you could faintly hear on the crowd mike some fan call out, "We love you, Harry!" When Scott Franzke later mentioned that, he and Andersen again lost it. It was a rough day.
When I got home, I learned that before the Phillies game several players, including Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, and Scott Eyre, had given Kalas, a confirmed cigarette smoker, a unique tribute. They got hold of a cigarette, lit it, and passed it around the dugout. Very cool, guys. Harry Kalas will be missed by all.
