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| voice of NFL Films Kalas dead | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:44 pm (53 Views) | |
| CinciFan985 | Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:44 pm Post #1 |
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Reds 45-57
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Harry Kalas, the voice of NFL Films and longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster, died Monday. He was 73. Kalas, who punctuated innumerable home runs with his "Outta here!" call, died after being found passed out in the broadcast booth before a game against the Washington Nationals. "We lost our voice today," Phillies president David Montgomery said, his voice cracking. "He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization." Dan Loh / Associated Press Long-time NFL voice Harry Kalas died Monday at 73. Kalas was discovered by the Phillies director of broadcasting about 12:30 p.m. and taken to a local hospital, Montgomery said. Kalas had surgery earlier this year for an undisclosed ailment that the team characterized as minor. He looked somewhat drawn last week as the Phillies opened the season at home. Kalas was a long-time NFL broadcaster for Westwood One and was a voice-over narrator for NFL Films. Football fans might also remember him as the voice of "Alcoa Fantastic Finishes" features during NFL telecasts years ago. 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. 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. He wasn't immediately embraced by Phillies fans, despite being paired with Richie Ashburn, a Hall of Famer as a player, and longtime announcer. But Kalas evolved into a beloved sports figure in Philadelphia. He and Ashburn grew into a popular team, and shared the booth until Ashburn's death in 1997. "Major League Baseball has lost one of the great voices of our generation," MLB 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." Kalas fell in love with baseball at a young age, when his father took him to Comiskey Park to see the Chicago White Sox play the Washington Senators. It was a rainy night, and Kalas sat with his dad behind the Washington dugout. "Because of the rains, the field was covered," he told the AP. "There was no batting practice, so the players really didn't have anything to do. Mickey Vernon popped out of the dugout, saw this wide-eyed kid -- me -- picked me up, took me in the dugout, gave me a baseball, introduced me to his teammates, and thus began my love of baseball and the Washington Senators." He maintained that enthusiasm for the game throughout his career. The son of a Methodist minister, 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. Information from the Associated Press was included in this report. |
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| Deleted User | Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:52 pm Post #2 |
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Very, very sad day. A true legend in sports broadcasting. This brings back memories of Chuck Thompson's passing. RIP Harry the K. |
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| Deleted User | Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:53 pm Post #3 |
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One of the best voices ever. |
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| Deleted User | Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:54 pm Post #4 |
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Its great that he got to call the victory for the Phillies in the World Series last year. Hes one of those guys that you just sort of think will live forever, I know not really, but it just seems that way. I grew up listening to Vin Scully, and I feel that way about him. Some people just bring something so special to the game that they become far bigger than just an announcer. I'm not a Philly fan but most of my friends are, and to them he always was the voice of baseball. |
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| Deleted User | Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:55 pm Post #5 |
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I am listening to the Phillies broadcast, and it has to be incredibly hard to do today's game. I don't know if I can keep listening. They just had a moment of silence in Washington before the game, and in the silence a fan yelled "We love you Harry." |
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| Deleted User | Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:44 pm Post #6 |
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Harry's best friend was his broadcasting pal, Richie Ashburn, who was found dead in his hotel room five or 10 years again when the Phillies were in New York, playing the Mets. They quaffed a lot of beers over the years and had put a lot of humor into their broadcasts. Don Drysdale died the same way -- alone and on the road. I forget who he was doing games for. If you get that old and still do play-by-play, eventually you're going to end up dead. Which is why Vin Scully is so amazing. He's 80, works alone, and is still pretty good. |
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| Deleted User | Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:28 pm Post #7 |
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I loved Harry as the voice of the NFL Films. All the greats of my youth are retiring or passing on. RIP Harry |
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| Deleted User | Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:30 pm Post #8 |
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Tragic news. Harry was one of my favorites. It was neat that he announced for the Phils last year, and his son, Todd, announced for the Rays. What a coincidence. God bless Harry and his entire family. |
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| Deleted User | Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:22 pm Post #9 |
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Tough year for Kalas. At least he was able to celebrate a World Series victory in his last season. |
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| Deleted User | Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:22 pm Post #10 |
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Oh man, what a distinctive voice for baseball and for football highlights. |
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7:17 PM Jul 10