Legendary Phillies announcer Harry Kalas dead at 73

I grew up listening to Harry and Whitey. Sad, sad day.

 

I'm sure Harry's already setting Whitey up for the "Yeah, I slept with a lot of old bats in my day" punchline.

 

Vin Scully: "He did leave us doing what he loved to do: getting ready to do another ballgame."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/04/andrew-kamenetzky-vin-scully-on-the-passing-of-harry-kalas.html

 

Oh hell yes. Those were awesome.

 

Bill Lyon's great obit talks about a story Harry loved to tell about himself, Tim McCarver and Whitey in the booth. Tim was talking about ash from volcanoes or whatever, and Whitey chimes in "Tim, if you've seen one piece of ash, you've seen em all." CLASSIC.

 

For years, I'd told anyone who'd listen that the day that Kalas died, I'd cry like a baby. Yesterday, though, I didn't. It was too stunning, too surreal.

Today, I just want to go find a corner somewhere and be by myself for about an hour.

I remember when I was like 4 years old, I had my Schmidt pajamas, just like the Phils' old home unis. I've always been a Phils fan first and way down deep, I still am.

Let's be honest about Philly - nobody gives a rat's ass about that city. It's not NYC, Chicago or LA; it's always that other East Coast city, the one you probably think of last when you think of the east coast. So when something comes along that makes that place truly distinctive...

Harry was Philadelphia, as someone said in one of the reax quotes. For once, there was a real gem in that town, the same one with the 10,000-loss team and the other three good-but-never-good-enough teams.

I lament the chance to have my nephew (and any potential kids of my own) listen to Kalas. Instead, I'm left to tell them how great he was, and how there will never be another like him. And I'll sound like a grumpy old bastard ('Back in my day...') when I do so.

I wish my nephew could have heard for himself. Then he would have known.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to go be alone for a few minutes.

 

Philly loses another legend. Les Keiter dies.
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/breaking/sports/20090415_Les_Keiter__called_Palestra_bomb_scare_game__dies_at_89.html