The Phillies lost a very close member of their family today when Harry Kalas collapsed and died in Washington. The voice of the Phillies for my entire life, Harry has always shared a close connection with the Philadelphia fans, even writing a poem for them at his hall of fame induction ceremony.
Harry’s baritone calls “IT’S OUTTA HERE!” and “STRUCK ‘EM OUT,” among others, have been imitated by every Phillies fan, but never duplicated. Among my favorite Kalas’ calls…
- Michael Jack Schmidt’s 500th HR
- Bobby Abreu’s game-winning inside the park HR
- “Mitchy-Poo’s” game-winning RBI at about 4 in the morning
- Brad Lidge’s strike-out of Eric Hinske (of course)
Feel free to share any Harry stories you may have or your favorite memories of him. I’ve only ever watched a couple of Phillies games without Harry leading the way; it’s going to be strange to hear the first one without him.
You’ll be missed Harry; say “hi” to Whitey for us.
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
With all of baseball getting a bad name recently, Kalas was one of those broadcasters that continued to give it a great name with his genuine approach to America’s pasttime. Broadcasters nowadays are hard to find.
Who are the best broadcasters (past and present) in the world of sports? Just out of curiousity. Kalas is definitely one, indeed!
Wow this terrible news, this is so sad Harry was a legend and baseball in this town will not be the same ever. He loved this team and you could tell. I heard him on Eskin before this season started and he was so excited you could tell he loved the game. My thoughts and prayers are with his family this is just awful.
Harry you were the best, Thanks for the memories
I have been very busy today. I just turned on espn radio to catch the Phils pre-game show and I got the report about Harry Kalas passing away. Very sad. When I first started following the Phils 35 years ago, the announcers were Kalas, Ashburn, Wheeler, and Musser. It was always comfortable to hear Harry and Whitey all those years. They were a part of the team as far as I was concerned. I have really missed Ashburn since his passing but still having Kalas helped me maintain that connection to my youth. Now Wheeler, who will obviously become the lead announcer, is the only lifelong tie I have to the Phils. Things just won’t be the same for me without either Ashburn or Kalas calling a Phils game.
one of my favorite type of Harry calls was when a Phillie would hit a game-tying and lead-changing HR late in the game and as the ball was in the air he would say “COULD IT BE!? COULD IT BEE!!??”
met him a couple times. Once as a young kid I went into the booth in between innings to talk to both he and Ashburn. I remember Ashburn saying something funny that I didn’t understand and Kalas asking me a bunch of questions about the Phils as if I was his own grandkid.
Also met him a couple times while I worked at the Phillies. Sat at a dinner table with him before games once or twice and listened to writers ask him all sorts of questions about his favorite HRs/Players/Teams, etc… His speaking voice was exactly the same as the voice he used on air.
We were out in San Fran in the summer of 2006 for the Phils series. It was a day game and afterwards we walked around the back of the stadium to see the Phils load the buses to cheer on our team. Out of all the players and personnel, Harry Kalas was the only one that came over to the fence to greet the Phils fans and talk to them. Not a single player took the time to say hello to the 2 dozen or so Phils fans that were cheering them on. Harry then signed autographs and shook hands with every single fan there, and even made it a point to ask if anyone else wanted some time with him before he boarded the team bus. Just a stand up guy and an icon here in Philadelphia. He will be greatly missed, but his wonderful voice and unforgettable baseball terms will live on forever. Hopefully tonight Harry and Richie Ashburn can enjoy another drink together as they look down on their favorite ball team.
I have no idea how our broadcasters are able to call the game today. I’ve been listening to Frantzke and Andersen on the radio. Listening to them in the top of the first inning was gut-wrenching. They’ve settled in since then, but still. I’m sure it’s been the same with the TV broadcast.
I can’t stop thinking about Kalas while I’m listening to the game. I’m sure I won’t stop thinking about him for quite a while either. Harry Kalas has been an integral part of and inseparable from every Phillies moment I have experienced in my entire life. It’s not going to be easy to move on from that.
Sad sad day. I am not as much of a Phills fan as I am the Sixers, but I always knew when I would watch a game I would hear it called with the highest level of class and enthusiasm. Thankfully he made it far enough to see another Championship, and when he did pass, he was in the place he loved the most.
I have a video of Michael Jack’s 500th HR (my alltime favorite player). Harry of course made the call. His voice was so distinctive, he was one of a kind. Phillies games will never be the same.
Nice job as usual Pete. – “.. .. say hi to Whitey”. Nicely done. The entire family was in Cooperstown the day Mike and Richie went into the HALL. A memory of a lifetime as is Harry’s call of the Phillies as World Series Champions. God Bless you Harry !
I think it says a lot about what type of man Harry Kalas was when players are writers like John Kruk and Jayson Stark, aren’t just sad, but positively devastated by the news. Kruk was having a tough time keeping it together on Baseball Tonight and Stark wrote that the loss was “unimaginable.”
I’m speechless
RIP Harry
We will miss you
Harry passed in his place of work where he performed magic for so many years. He obviously loved his job. What a wonderful person/character.
Richie’s been waiting for you for some time. You two will again be a dynamic duo in the after life.
Harry, Rest in Peace!
This was a rough day for all phillies fans. Michael Barkan couldn’t keep it together in DNL and leslie gudel was about to lose it. It was rough. Victorino did a very classy gesture to the booth after his homerun today which was great.
Harry and Whitey can call the game together from above now. It’s just crazy that he probably passed in the booth where they found him, a perfect ending for a legend. R.I.P Harry the K you’ll be missed.
ESPN showing some Philly love for Harry Kalas. I’m glad Philly is getting their due with ESPN, but at such an expense. Maybe we can finally get some love there! Hope so.
GO PHILADELPHIA!!!
Baseball in philly will never be the same.
Loving thoughts with the Departed One.
So very sad. We were very lucky to have had him in Philadelphia. I recall being with my grandfather in his car for the Schmidt 500th home run call. I always got a kick out of the way he would pronounce names using every sylable: Mick-ey Mo-ran-dini, Rick-y Bo-tal-ico, Bobb-y Ab-re-u, and on…
Definitely agree with you that it feels like a bit of my youth is gone- and too soon.
It makes feel better knowing Harry got to see the World Series run last year.
I am a fan of most of the Philly sports announcers, but the slow pace of baseball really lends itself to building a closer relationship with those who call the game.
Living in Chicago, I can see how they still keep Harry Carey in their hearts all these years later (or maybe its that I work across the street from a Harry Carey’s restaurant
“the slow pace of baseball really lends itself to building a closer relationship with those who call the game. “ That is definitely a part of it. For me, it goes well beyond that.
When I started following the Phils, they were only on tv once a week on Sunday afternoon (well, NBC had the game of the week, ABC had Monday night baseball for a while, but that wasn’t a whole lot). There was no espn. No Comcast Sportsnet. No Prism. Nothing. I didn’t have my own money for a subscription to Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News. I live well outside the city and had no access to the Philly newspapers either. Other than the box scores and game reports in my local paper, I was isolated from the Phils. Isolated except for Harry and Whitey.
For many years, Harry and Whitey were my gateway to the Phils. They provided me with access to my heroes, virtually my only access, seven days a week for six months a year, year after year on the radio. The game was what they told me it was. I spent countless hours visualizing in my mind what they were describing. I trusted them with my love of the game. My trust could not have been placed in better hands.
I still remember them calling the games on 1060. When I was living in the Poconos it was a similar situation where they were the only way I ’saw’ the games. I guess that was not that far back (25-30 years), but still takes me back.
Pete,
I know you used to work for the Phillies. Were you ever lucky enough to meet Harry Kalas and do you personally have any memory of him that sticks out in your mind?
Here is a link with info about tributes the Phils will pay to Kalas at Friday night’s game, throughout the 7-game homestand, and for the remainder of the season.
It’s very touching and I have no doubt that the Phils will go first class all the way in honoring Kalas. Hopefully, in addition to any statues and renaming of broadcast booths and/or streets, they will make some of the things (like “High Hopes” and the “Outta Here” call) a permanent part of Phillies baseball.
jurnee-
posted above, but I’ll paste here…
met him a couple times. Once as a young kid I went into the booth in between innings to talk to both he and Ashburn. I remember Ashburn saying something funny that I didn’t understand and Kalas asking me a bunch of questions about the Phils as if I was his own grandkid.
Also met him a couple times while I worked at the Phillies. Sat at a dinner table with him before games once or twice and listened to writers ask him all sorts of questions about his favorite HRs/Players/Teams, etc… His speaking voice was exactly the same as the voice he used on air.
bsk-
lots of good stuff in there. I too hope the “outta here!” is permanant.
I’d really like for another of his signature calls—-”He struck ‘im out!”—-to become a fixture as well. Don’t know how to go about it though, as playing it over the PA would show up the hitters.
Todd Zolecki has a photo of a uniform with the HK patch on it.
bski…Although I love the “outta here” from Harry, the enthusiastic “struck eeeem out!!!” with 2 outs and a game changing situation on the line may have been my favorite.
I agree with everyone that at least the “outta here” quote should not only be played this season, but forever on the PA system following a Phils dinger.
Yeah J Dubbz, I love “Struck Him Out!” too. Difficult to say which call between that one and “Outta Here!” I like more. I’d have to say it’s a tie.
The other thing that’s difficult to say is which variation of each call I like more. There’s the regular, “He struck him out!”. There’s also, “He struck him right on outta there!”. I really liked when either call was preceded by “Swing and a miss”.
For the “Outta here!” call, there are two that do it for me. First is, “Swing and a long drive! Watch that baby! Outta here!. Home run (fill in name)!”. Second is, “Could it be? It’s got a chance. Outta here! Home run (fill in name)!”.
Anyway you look at it, those two calls have to remain a part of Phillies baseball, IMO.
Here is some info on Saturday’s tribute to Kalas.
wanted to share this… from a buddy in one of my fantasy baseball leagues. Said he Mitch Williams said this on TV….
“Great story from the Wild thing the other day. I guess the two of them were playing black jack in Vegas one night all sauced up. Mitch has a bunch of money riding on his hand sitting at 13. He goes huge and gets and 8 card to get 21 and win. Kalas apparently goes into his announcer voice, cigarette and drink in hand, and goes: Miiiitchy pooooooo geeeeeeets the eiiiiiiiiight! Awesome.”