Harry Kalas Dead at 73

[flamchop]

It's a sad day for Philadelphia and the entire sporting world. He will be missed. He was the voice of the Phillies and NFL Films after John Facenda. He was an avid cigar smoker... often smoking a churchill sized stogie in the announcers booth in the old days.

Link

 

[HenrysCigar]

May he RIP. Today was a sad day for every Philadelphian and especially hard for me. I am not that old (29) but this man was the only voice of baseball to me. Hope he is smiling after the win today and WE ARE GONNA WIN THIS SEASON FOR you, H. K. !!!

 

[twizz]

I feel compelled to say:

'He's OUTTA HERE!!!!'

Rest in peace Harry, you were the most soothing sound in Philadelphia sports. I'm smoking one for you this evening.

 

[Chemyst]

Harry is with By Saam, Bill Campbell and Richie Ashburn,
calling the games from on high.

There's a herf at Mahogany this Saturday, and I'll raise a
glass and smoke a primo in memory of Harry the K,
and the others. At least Harry got to call a few World Series
games in his time on earth.

Harry was a class act and a special voice/talent.
Philly was lucky to have him for so many years.

Chemyst

 

[surfish.dave]

"We lost Harry [today]," David Montgomery, the team president, said. "We lost our voice."

R.I.P. Harry the K. You will be missed.

 

[Wurm]

Oh man

Talk about childhood memories.

R.I.P. Mr. Kalas, you shall be missed.

 

[stogieman]

Rest in peace Harry, you'll be missed but not forgotten.......

 

[in2xshp]

This is sad, he was an icon with that voice. He will be missed.

 

[tone-ny]

Man this is a great loss, what an iconic voice. When I watched the Mets vs the Phillies I always tuned to the Phillies station to hear him. RIP!

 

[Phlicker]

Harry is with By Saam, Bill Campbell and Richie Ashburn,
calling the games from on high.

"Hard to Believe" the guy he replaced is still around...but Bill Campbell's not dead quite yet! He was interviewed on WIP and KYW this morning.

I'm wavering between shock and utter sadness. I mean, the past couple of years you'd see him on-screen before the broadcasts and think to yourself, "man, he doesn't look too good," but you'd never say it out loud or dare to think of what Baseball would be like without him.

If John Facenda was the "Voice of God," Harry was the "Voice of the People."

 

[mrcigar]

Glad he was able to see us win last year and say one last time:

'It's outta here! A home run, and the Phillies take the lead!'

Does anyone know whay kind of Cigar's he smoked?

 

[cpprhead59]

Harry's passing is a sad loss for Philly, baseball and really all of sports.

I have never been a Phillies fan but when the local minor league baseball team was an affiliate of the Phillies I had the chance to meet him, absolutely wonderful man.

I will never forget that voice and the picture he painted in words over the airwaves on the radio. I would fall asleep as a kid listening to his calls of the Phillies when they were out on the west coast.

Now he and Whitey Ashburn can call those Phillies games upstairs together again....

Slainte Harry

 

[flamchop]

Glad he was able to see us win last year and say one last time:

'It's outta here! A home run, and the Phillies take the lead!'

Does anyone know whay kind of Cigar's he smoked?

Not sure, I just know from the video I've seen at work there are a few clips of him lighting up and taking puffs while calling, and it's a long 7" smoke each time with no band.

CC?

 

[Phlicker]

Does anyone know whay kind of Cigar's he smoked?

Steve Sabol from NFL Films was on WIP today (lest we forget he was the voice of NFL Films since 1975), and he indicated that "despite all of those Parliament cigarettes, Ashton cigars and Gin & Tonics, Harry's voice never lost that golden tone..."

 

[Chemyst]

Harry is with By Saam, Bill Campbell and Richie Ashburn,
calling the games from on high.

"Hard to Believe" the guy he replaced is still around...but Bill Campbell's not dead quite yet! He was interviewed on WIP and KYW this morning.

I'm wavering between shock and utter sadness. I mean, the past couple of years you'd see him on-screen before the broadcasts and think to yourself, "man, he doesn't look too good," but you'd never say it out loud or dare to think of what Baseball would be like without him.

If John Facenda was the "Voice of God," Harry was the "Voice of the People."

It's great to learn that Bill Campbell is still with us.

I'll hoist one to Bill's 'good health' at the Saturday herf, too!

Chemyst