RIP Harry Kalas

[GeauxLions94]

Just heard on radio that he passed away. One of the great broadcasters of all-time with his work with the Phillies and NFL Films. RIP

RIP Harry Kalas (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4064793)

[ISUMatt]

Tragic, Hawk Harrelson doing the Sox game is struggling to do his play by play

[bluehenbillk]

Sad day - best voice ever.

[Thunderstruck84]

One of the best voices in sports, what a terrible and sudden loss. xsmhx

Thoughts and prayers to his family and to all the fans who will miss him and his voice on their radios and televisions.

[Ivytalk]

I'm devastated. I can't imagine the Phillies without Harry. He was the best ever.

Maybe the Baseball Gods will have a special World Series ring ceremony for him.

[89Hen]

:( xbawlingx :(

[SunCoastBlueHen]

Sad day - best voice ever.


I'm devastated. I can't imagine the Phillies without Harry. He was the best ever.

Maybe the Baseball Gods will have a special World Series ring ceremony for him.

Couldn't agree more. I was always a huge fan of Harry Kalas. I always used to do my HK impersonation as a kid playing sandlot basesball...

"Long drive to deep left field.... way back... and this ball is outta here..."

A sad day indeep for Phillies fans, NFL films fans, and everyone who was a fan of top quality broadcasting.

[Go...gate]

Condolences from this Mets fan. I heard him a lot over the years and he was a wonderful broadcaster.

[GannonFan]

Had actually made it a point this morning to watch Comcast to catch Harry's call of Matt Stairs' HR to win the game yesterday. Never thought it would be the last call I'd hear. A sad, sad day for the Phillies as one of the greatest announcers ever is no longer with us.

xbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawl ingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxx bawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawli ngxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingx

[bulldog10jw]

Condolences from this Mets fan. I heard him a lot over the years and he was a wonderful broadcaster.

Ditto from this Mets fan.

[ISUMatt]

I can not believe the Nats did NOT do a moment of silence before the game today...They could have done it after the moment of silence they had for Nick Adenhart

[bluehenbillk]

I can not believe the Nats did NOT do a moment of silence before the game today...They could have done it after the moment of silence they had for Nick Adenhart

They did one for Adenhart but not Harry? I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that it happened so close to game time they didn't get it in, but I'd expect it to happen Wednesday night, otherwise pure bush move.

[gmoney55]

I can not believe the Nats did NOT do a moment of silence before the game today...They could have done it after the moment of silence they had for Nick Adenhart

Or just at the same time...I would say bush league, but with the way that organization runs it's more just par for the course.

[Franks Tanks]

HArry was the best, it just wont be the same without him.

[93henfan]

Heaven's broadcast team is now intact:

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2002/07/04/7aGWiAyc.jpg

We'll miss you, Harry. RIP. xbawlingx

[bluehenbillk]

As Whitey would've said: "Hard to believe (Harry)"

[LeopardFan04]

I can not believe the Nats did NOT do a moment of silence before the game today...They could have done it after the moment of silence they had for Nick Adenhart


They did one for Adenhart but not Harry? I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that it happened so close to game time they didn't get it in, but I'd expect it to happen Wednesday night, otherwise pure bush move.


Or just at the same time...I would say bush league, but with the way that organization runs it's more just par for the course.


On the CSN Philly broadcast they showed the moment of silence that the Nats did for Harry. They made an announcement regarding his passing and then had a moment of silence. xbawlingx

[ISUMatt]

When??? They did not show it on MASN2 broadcast!!!

[TheValleyRaider]

Absolute shame :( :( :(

One of the true greats xbowx xbowx xbowx

[bluehenbillk]

The more time goes by this afternoon the more this is sinking in. I'm not sure it will sink in until I watch a couple of Phillies games and not hear his voice. To put it lightly Harry Kalas was an institution, he was the only Phillies voice I've ever known.

Funny story: Myself and another well-known AGS poster went to the MLB Fan Fest in 1996 when the All-Star game was in Philly & did a recording over the last inning of the Phils 1980 WS victory over the Royals & we did it as Harry & Whitey, wishing happy birthdays to the elderly & thanking fans for dropping off food for the booth.

I can vividly remember sending friends of mine who no longer live around Philly the internet link to Harry calling the 9th inning of Game 5 of the WS this past fall. It was about 13 minutes but they all said they listened to every second of it. Listening to Phillies games will never be the same.

[89Hen]

the last inning of the Phils 1980 WS victory over the Royals & we did it as Harry & Whitey, wishing happy birthdays to the elderly & thanking fans for dropping off food for the booth.
xlolx I always use that schtick when describing why baseball is the most boring game to watch on TV.

Here's the wind up and the picth.... ball...

We wanted to thank Edna Kopeckny for bringing up these delicious brownies to the booth. Thanks Edna!

Pitcher steps back in.... now backs away...

It's also Jimmy Santoni's birthday today. Happy Birthday Jimmy.

Here's the wind up, and the delivery... ball

xoopsx

[Hoyadestroya85]

As a Mets fan who lives in Philly i've grown accustomed to hearing Harry Kalas broadcast the Phillies.. As much as i despise the Phillies, It's good that the Phillies didn't win it all without him.

[93henfan]

I can vividly remember sending friends of mine who no longer live around Philly the internet link to Harry calling the 9th inning of Game 5 of the WS this past fall. It was about 13 minutes but they all said they listened to every second of it. Listening to Phillies games will never be the same.

Still have it bookmarked. Takes some time to load, but well worth it. Enjoy:

http://onthedlpodcast.com/clips/phils_champs_harry.mp3

And the video (with Chris Wheeler going nuts next to Harry :p ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBk3wTs-t2A&feature=related

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I usually don't cry about things but this brought me tears. I can't imagine watching a Phillies game without him. This is beyond devasting.....xbawlingxxbawlingx

[LeopardFan04]

When??? They did not show it on MASN2 broadcast!!!


The Phillies switched over to the game broadcast at about 3, so I guess it was at about 5 after 3 or so...you could see some of the Phillies passing around a cigarette in tribute too...

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Harry narrated the Lehigh-Lafayette documentary in 2004

[blukeys]

Harry replaced with considerable trepidation the legendary By Saam back in the very early 70's.

I love Harry. His home run calls were legendary and you could always tell when someone sent it out when he said " It's a long drive, deep into left field and this ball is OUTTA HERE!!!"

I am old enough to remember the pre Harry days with By Saam and Bill Campbell. Bill Giles brought Harry to Philly from Houston.

Despite that, he was a Philly guy to the bone and was as loyal a Phillie fan as ever existed.

His accomplisments speak for themselves.

I was disappointed that ESPN spent more time on Mark Fidryich who had fewer than 50 MLB decisions in his entire career than they spent on Harry. Way to go ESPN!!!xeyebrowxxeyebrowx

You Spend more time on a flash in the pan then a Hall of Famer. Yeah your priorities are in order.

[93henfan]

In ESPN's defense, they're going to bill a player ahead of an announcer and a freak accident over a heart attack most days, regardless of how much we loved Harry the K.

[BlueHenRN]

RIP Harry Kalas.

[Franks Tanks]

"Close your eyes, and it's a muggy summer evening and you've just tuned in to the Fightin's, and on the TV in your den and on the radio in your car, all you need hear is The Voice, and from the sound of it, without knowing the score, you can tell instantly whether they're winning or losing"

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20090414_Bill_Lyon__If_Harry_said_it__it_had_to_be _so.html

Harry was the voice of summer for Philly fans, and for many of us the voice of our childhood. My Grandpa was a huge Phils fan and he never watched the games on TV. It was always Harry on the radio while sitting on the front porch. I spent many summer nights as a child listening to the Phils with my Grandpa, and Harry was always there.

He was a true pro and gentleman. I will miss him terribly.

[ngineer]

God, I spent the last 39 years with this guy at my side while working in the office at night, working out on my pool, sitting traffic jams, and just lounging on a Sunday afternoon...Life will not be the same.:(

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Holy crap. I don't listen to the Phillies often, but Easter Sunday I was watching Kalas' call his last-ever Phillies game - and I would have never seen it had there not been a rain delay. I would have never dreamed in a million years that he'd pass away the very next day. RIP Harry.

Kalas did something really nice for Lehigh and Lafayette a little while ago: he agreed to narrate a documentary about "The Rivalry" called the Lehigh/Lafayette Legacy for the local PBS station. I'm certain he could have refused - he certainly didn't do it for the money or the exposure - but Mr. Kalas was such a nice guy he agreed to do it anyway. From my perspective, that says everything you need to know about Mr. Kalas - a great human being.

xbawlingx

[ngineer]

Holy crap. I don't listen to the Phillies often, but Easter Sunday I was watching Kalas' call his last-ever Phillies game - and I would have never seen it had there not been a rain delay. I would have never dreamed in a million years that he'd pass away the very next day. RIP Harry.

Kalas did something really nice for Lehigh and Lafayette a little while ago: he agreed to narrate a documentary about "The Rivalry" called the Lehigh/Lafayette Legacy for the local PBS station. I'm certain he could have refused - he certainly didn't do it for the money or the exposure - but Mr. Kalas was such a nice guy he agreed to do it anyway. From my perspective, that says everything you need to know about Mr. Kalas - a great human being.

xbawlingx

In fact, Harry did it gratis I am all the more glad I bought a copy of that DVD.