Silenced Voice

A somber posting today. While in class, excited about Chicago being chosen as the first city to have a localized ESPN web page (and rightfully so), the ESPN headlines stated that Harry Kalas has passed away. Now, I am not going to claim myself as a die-hard Phillies fan or even as a bandwagoner, but I am a fan of baseball and the city of Philadelphia has grown on me. With that being said, it is a sad day for the sport as one of the greatest voices to ever call the game will never again say "Outta here."

Now, one might ask what is the big deal about calling balls and strikes as it seems any idiot can do it as is seen through Joe Morgan. The big deal is that this voice gives the team an identity that becomes part of the local culture. Instead of simply listening to Phillies game, you hear the voice that has called the Phillies for the past 28 years and all that he has seen in that time. This phenomenon is really only felt by those lucky enough to hear Kalas, Bob Uecker, Vin Scully, Marty Brennaman, Lon Simmons, Gene Elston, Dave Matthews, Jamie Jarin, and Dave Niehus. All of which have felt the joys and pain of their teams. The fans' memories are immortalized through the calls of a no-hitter, a grand slam or something as tedious as an error.

Baseball is great because anything can happen from something semi-common as a walk-off homerun to a rare 8 run comeback which Kalas was able to call . To put it in perspective in the time that Kalas has been the Phillies announcer he called:

• Six no-hitters
• Mike Schmidt's 500th home run on April 18, 1987
• Every one of Steve Carlton's starts from 1972-86
• Pete Rose's 3,631st career hit on Aug. 10, 1981 (which broke Stan Musial's NL record)
• First game at the Houston Astrodome, April 12, 1965
• First game at Veterans Stadium, April 10, 1971
• First game at Citizens Bank Park, April 12, 2004
• The first championship that the city of Philadelphia sees in 25 years

Those are in itself amazing feats, but through MLB records these will forever be viewed and listened to through the words of Kalas.

Now this brings me back to 1998, when the voice that I knew baseball through, Harry Caray, passed away. People in Chicago still imitate his "Holy Cow" and "It could be, it might be, it is!" and I imagine that Philadelphians will imitate "Outta Here" for years to come. That season's broadcast was surreal, no longer hearing the old comforting voice of a legend tell me that the Cubs win or to lead me in a stretch. To honor Caray, the Cubs began the 7th inning stretch where celebrities come to sing their best rendition or butcher it horribly:



Recently a statue has been erected in Caray's honor before seeing an error on it, but by now it's been fixed.

But after Caray's passing, two good announcers in Len Kasper and Bob Brenly arrive providing the realization that a new generation of fans will hear the game differently. The greats will soon be gone, but baseball will still be there and all one can hope is for a decent job relaying to the fans the nuances of their respected teams.

I sincerely hope they do the same for Kalas. Rename the booth: the Harry Kalas Booth. Ashburn Alley already exists and it is only fitting for his partner, Kalas, to have something as well. The Hall of Famer won the Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year 18 times in a state that really cares for its football and puts it above other sports. The man provided a real sense of who the Phillies were and that is what I'll remember from my appreciation of the team due to Penn. In the end, Philadelphia now has to prepare itself for a new era of baseball, just as the Phillies continue their upswing into becoming one of the most dominant teams in baseball. As a Cubs fan, I am a bit scared because I remember in '98 they played with great emotion for Caray and I see the Phillies doing the same.

I leave you with the call that made me happy for my second home (the video is gone):

"One strike away; nothing-and-two, the count to Hinske. Fans on the their feet; rally towels are being waved. Brad Lidge stretches. The 0-2 pitch — swing and a miss, struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball! Brad Lidge does it again, and stays perfect for the 2008 season! 48-for-48 in save opportunities, and watch the city celebrate! Don't let the 48-hour wait diminish the euphoria of this moment, and the celebration. And it has been 28 years since the Phillies have enjoyed a World Championship; 25 years in this city with a team that has enjoyed a World Championship, and the fans are ready to celebrate. What a night!"