Baseball Loses It's Voice

By Michael Hiestand and Mel Antonen

Harry Kalas, an iconic Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster and NFL Films narrator, died Monday after collapsing in the broadcast booth before the Phillies game in Washington. He was 73.

Harry Kalas was one of a kind: A famous local broadcaster in one sport even as his voice starred in another.

Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films, hired Kalas in 1975 after hearing his baritone Philadelphia Phillies calls. "People back then would ask, 'Why is the NFL using someone who does baseball?' But he was only known for baseball in Philly. Now he's known for football narration all over the world."

Kalas, says Sabol, was meant to counterbalance NFL Films narrator John Facenda who was "the voice of God while Harry was the voice of the people" but also had unusual "resonance and crisp articulation." Sabol recalls Kalas, on an early NFL Films syndicated show, reading a tricky plug from the show's first sponsor, Red Devil Caulking. "It was, say, 175 words in 15 seconds. What could have been a jumbled mess came out perfect."

Kalas, who voiced highlights for Inside the NFL since 1977, also lent his gifted pipes to TV ads. "He could sell anything with that voice," Sabol said. "But he never sold himself. He was always very modest."

Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer, who grew up listening to Kalas, asked, "When you think of NFL Films, whose voice do you think of? When you think of the Phillies, whose voice do you think of? It's sad."

Added Phillies manager Charlie Manuel: "I loved listening to Harry."

"We lost our voice today," team President David Montgomery said.

Kalas, who had surgery in February for an undisclosed ailment, had been a team announcer since 1971. Known for his "Outta here!" home run call, he also had done NFL Films' voiceovers since 1975. NFL Films President Steve Sabol called Kalas "the narrator of our memories."

A moment of silence was held before the game, which the Phillies decided to play. "We know how our man would have voted," Montgomery said. "Harry would have wanted us to play."

But it wasn't easy to play, outfielder Shane Victorino and pitcher Jamie Moyer said.

When Victorino homered in the Phillies' 9-8 victory against the Nationals, he pointed to the booth where Kalas would have been.

Moyer, who grew up listening to Kalas, said, "Harry was legendary. ... I have a lot of memories of Harry."

Ex-Phillies star Mike Schmidt, who got his "Michael Jack" nickname from Kalas' call of his 500th homer in 1987, said, "He'll go down as one of the top two or three ever to grace a microphone."

Kalas, the son of a Methodist minister, threw out the first pitch at the Phillies' opener. But ex-MLB star Jim Kaat was "not surprised" at his friend Kalas' death: "He was not in good health."

Kalas was discovered by the Phillies director of broadcasting about 12:30 p.m. and taken to a local hospital, Montgomery said.

There was a moment of silence for the Hall of Famer before the game, which the Phillies decided to play and won 9-8 against the Washington Nationals.

"We know how our man would have voted," Montgomery said. "Harry would have wanted us to play."

Kalas joined the Phillies in 1971. Before that, he was a member of the Houston Astros' broadcast team from 1965-70. In 2002, he received the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award for his contributions to the game.

"Players come and go, but 'Outta here!' — that's forever," said Scott Franzke, a Phillies radio broadcaster.

"He passed away in the place he loved the most – the broadcast booth. I hope he's in a better place," siad Phillies pitcher Brett Myers.

Kalas lent his sonorous voice to everything from puppies to soup. He was the voice for Chunky Soup commercials and Animal Planet's annual tongue-in-cheek Super Bowl competitor, the Puppy Bowl.

Kalas joined the Phillies radio and TV broadcast team the year the club moved into its former home, Veterans Stadium, replacing fan favorite Bill Campbell.

"Major League Baseball has lost one of the great voices of our generation," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Baseball announcers have a special bond with their audience, and Harry represented the best of baseball not only to the fans of the Phillies, but to fans everywhere."

The Naperville, Ill., native graduated from the University of Iowa in 1959 with a degree in speech, radio and television. He was drafted into the Army soon after he graduated.

In 1961, he became sports director at Hawaii radio station KGU and also broadcast games for the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League and the University of Hawaii.

A statement was issued by the family: "The Kalas family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and affection from all of Harry's fans and friends cross America. Especially the Phillies fans whom he loved as much as the game of baseball itself."