"Outta Here" ... Harry Kalas (1936-2009) ...

How do you say goodbye to a legend? How can one possibly honor someone who has done so much for the people of a city and the fans of one team? The only way is to let that man's legend speak for itself and to remember every moment his unmistakable voice spoke to us.

Yesterday, at the age of 73, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Harry Kalas, whose voice served as the backdrop for millions of lives, collapsed in the broadcast booth at Nationals Park as he was preparing for a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals ... he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter at 1:20 p.m. at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Baseball fans all across the country can identify with the sadness, shock and emptiness left by the passing of Kalas when remembering the loss of longtime Atlanta Braves announcer "Skip" Caray (1939-2008), and Skip's father and Chicago Cubs icon Harry Caray (1914-1998) ... their passing seemed to come all too soon.

After learning of his death, it's hard to fathom the immense void that was left in the hearts of not only Philadelphia Phillies' fans, but also in that of the entire world of baseball. We all shed a tear for someone we all knew, but might not have met. Every spring and summer for the last 38 years, Phillies fans welcomed him into their homes and lives. He became a part of their cookouts, celebrations, holidays, and summers. In Philadelphia, the name Harry Kalas is synonymous with Phillies baseball. "We lost our voice today," Phillies president David Montgomery said. "He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization." Anytime someone turned on a TV or radio to follow the Phillies, Harry was there ... yesterday, for the first time since 1971, our great old friend couldn't be there, because he was assigned to a higher broadcast ... yes, there was a baseball game yesterday ... and yes, the Phillies did win, but it was not the same ... it will never be the same.

The Phillies may have lost their voice, but the area and the sport lost a great man and a great ambassador. While he is remembered as a broadcaster, Harry has tirelessly and unselfishly contributed much to charities and to the people of the area. From singing at assisted living homes during the Christmas season, to signing autographs, and even recording voice mail messages for the Phillies' Phaithful ... Harry Kalas truly understood more than just baseball—he understood people.

He was one of the few broadcasters who still spent time with the players in the locker room and traveled with them during road trips. He was a man that loved to be around those that loved the game, because it is a game that he had loved since he was eight years old. Everyone seems to have a Harry Kalas story, and we all try to emulate his famous calls and quotes like, "that ball is outta here!" and a recent favorite, "Chase Utley, you are the man!"... memories we have and will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

His personality and his ability to connect with the fans is why almost everyone called him by his first name, and why I am comfortable referring to him as Harry ... so how do you say goodbye to a Legend? ... well, for this legend, you say goodbye with a great big "Thank You" ... so, thank you, Harry Kalas ... thank you for your voice, your dedication, your personality, your generosity, and your outgoing spirit ... you were an inspiration to many, and an inspiration to me. You are truly missed, but never forgotten, and your legend will live on in our hearts, our minds, and throughout the airwaves.

And for one last time— "Swing and a long drive, watch this baby, that ball is outta here!"

"If you didn't like Harry Kalas, you didn't like anybody." --Bob Uecker

--sja

Remembering George Kell (1922-2009) ...

Arguably the best baseball player to emerge during the WWII player shortage ... George Clyde Kell, born August 23, 1922, in Swifton Arkansas - his father was a semi-professional ballplayer, and a barber ... Kell flashed a great glove at third base, and consistently hit over .300 during his long career, which included several American League teams such as the Philadelphia Athletics (1943-1946) - Detroit Tigers (1946-1952) - Boston Red Sox (1952-1954) - Chicago White Sox (1954-1956) and Baltimore Orioles (1956-1957) ... after his playing career ended, he spent more than 30 years as a broadcaster, the majority of which was with the Detroit Tigers ... George Kell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1983, along with Brooks Robinson, a fellow Arkansan. At the Cooperstown induction ceremony, Kell said that he found it incredible that he and Robinson had both came out of Arkansas, and "traveled the same path to this place."

During George Kell's stellar baseball career, he played a total of 1,795 games - had 6,702 at-bats - scored 881 runs - had 78 homeruns - 870 RBI - 51 stolen bases - .414 SLG - .367 OBP - .781 OPS - 110.4 OPS+ ... was an All-Star 10 times ... had a career batting average of .306 with 2,054 hits ... hit at least .300 in 9 seasons, and led the league's third basemen in fielding percentage 7 times ... in the book entitled "We Played The Game" Kell said, "I took as much pride in fielding as hitting. I became a complete player. I knew when to take the extra base. I knew about the outfielder hitting the cutoff man. I knew when and how to bunt. I knew when to hit-and-run" ... a magic moment came for Kell in 1949 when he edged out Ted Williams for the batting title by less than two ten-thousandths of a point - .34291 to .34276 - thus denying Williams a third Triple Crown ... Kell was an excellent third baseman, the best in the American League, until Brooks Robinson replaced him with the Baltimore Orioles in 1958.

In 1958, George Kell began his career in broadcasting by filling in for Dizzy Dean behind the microphone on CBS's "Game of the Week" ... in the book "For the Love of the Game" Kell said, "I'd never done any broadcasting and was scared to death" ... his first assignment was a pregame interview with New York Yankees Manager Casey Stengel ... as Kell related it: "Stengel just talked his head off. I opened the show and asked him a question and he talked two or three minutes. Then I asked him another one, and by the time he got through with that, they were signaling me to break for a commercial. At the end of the show, I went up into the booth and I got a call from the guy in New York who had hired me, and he said: 'It was great. Absolutely great.' All I could think was, 'My God, I didn't do anything'" ... by 1959, he had joined the Detroit Tigers broadcast crew, teaming up with Van Patrick, then with the great Ernie Harwell on TV and radio from 1960 to 1963 ... Harwell's articulate, melodious Georgia drawl has been described as "a smooth ride on the the river of baseball's heritage" ... at first, only a few games during the season were televised ... Ernie and Kell took turns each calling half of the game on TV, the other half on radio ... after a year away from the booth, Kell took over the full-time TV duties in 1965, later joining Al Kaline, the Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame outfielder, while Ernie stayed in the booth were he felt most at home ... George Kell retired from broadcasting in 1996 ... he died in his sleep on March 24, 2009, at his home in Swifton Arkansas.


"He's a seven-day-a-week ballplayer." --Red Rolfe


"On warm, humid nights through transistors and earphones, they whisper to us -- like lovers across a pillow. On hot, sunny days, through stereo speakers in the back of the car, they shout at us like happy children on the way to summer camp. They are the local baseball announcers, for the local teams, on the local radio stations, as much a sound of summer as the singing of birds, the chirping of crickets, and the hissing of lawn sprinklers." --Joe Lapointe, New York Times


--sja