No one can replace Harry Kalas.
The legendary broadcaster and ‘voice of the Philadelphia Phillies’ for 38-plus seasons, died at 73 in a hospital in Washington D.C. Monday.
He was preparing to call the Phillies-Nationals game before he collapsed in the Phillies’ broadcast booth at Nationals Park around 12:20 p.m. Monday.
‘We lost our voice,’ Phillies club president David Montgomery told Philadelphia Inquirer. ‘Harry loved our game and made a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization.’
The Hall of Fame broadcaster began his career as a major league broadcaster with the Houston Astros in 1965. In 1971, Kalas moved on to Philadelphia, where many fans are hurting right now.
Kalas wasn’t just important to Phillies fans. He became a narrator for NFL Films in 1975 and was also a voiceover on ‘Inside the NFL’ from 1977 to 2008. Kalas was also a mainstay on Westwood One’s NFL radio broadcasts. Sundays in the fall won’t be the same without him on the microphone.
Kalas’ legendary status grew further when he received the Ford C. Frick Award, which goes to broadcasters who make ‘major contributions to baseball’ from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Ever see a Campbell’s Chunky Soup commercial? That was Kalas’ voice. Kalas was also a fan of dogs, as he was the voice of Animal Planet’s lighthearted answer to the Super Bowl: the Puppy Bowl.’
Televised baseball was limited during the ’70s, so people relied on radio coverage. Kalas was a constant in Philadelphia, providing his booming play-by-play on radio, and later television, for every great Phillies moment. From the World Series title in 1980 to last year’s Game 5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, fans always knew Kalas was there.
‘His voice sounded like a Baritone,’ lifelong Phillies fan and business senior Mark Diaz said. ‘The guy can’t be matched. I really wish I would have listened to the game (Sunday), because now I’ll be kicking myself for missing the final pitch he called.’
For people like Diaz, there’s no announcer like Kalas. He worked for the Phillies, but you would never guess it. Sure, Kalas wanted the Phillies to win but he always gave props to the other team when it earned them. Kalas never yelled, ‘You can put it on the board, yes!’ like White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson. He just spoke in his normal, soothing tone, which rose into the perfect amount of enthusiasm when Philadelphia made a big play.
Kalas wasn’t always a legend in Philadelphia. During his early days with the Phillies, fans were unsure about longtime Philadelphia sportscaster Bill Campbell’s replacement. But it did not take long for Kalas to win support, especially when he was paired with Richie Ashburn and Andy Musser. This crew’s insight and storytelling abilities made it bearable to follow the Phillies, who were horrible for a good portion of the ’80s.
‘My father told me a lot about Kalas taking time to win over people,’ Diaz said. ‘But he said once Kalas caught on, everyone loved the guy. He was able to get the best out of anyone who shared the booth with him.’
Kalas didn’t just win over Phillies fans; he basically earned the key to the city. The restaurant that sits in the base of the scoreboard at the Phillies’ ballpark is named ‘Harry the K’s.’ He was the master of ceremonies at the ceremonial opening of Citizens Bank Ballpark in 2004.
Baseball lost a legend Monday. Philadelphia lost an icon and the Phillies lost their greatest announcer. Whoever replaces Kalas will have a lot on his shoulders, but Phillies fans will adjust with time.
Kalas is lucky because he died in a place that he loved, a ballpark. He died doing what he loved: announcing. Now, it’s time for everyone to show love to Kalas. So the next time you hear his voice, stop for a minute and let it sink in. You’ll never hear pipes like those again.
Kalas’ favorite home run call was, ‘Swing’hellip; a long drive, watch this baby, outta here!’ Now, he’s ‘outta here,’ but he’s still following the Phillies from above.
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