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HARRY KALAS…
By Anthony | April 20, 2009
On Monday, April 13, 2009 the long time play-by-play announcer of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team and the narrator of numerous NFL Films presentations died in the broadcast booth a few hours before a game.
Harry Kalas was 73 years old, and the cause of death was a heart attack.
For 39 years the Naperville, Illinois native was the voice of the National League baseball club and for 32 years he served in many functions covering the National Football League.
I never met him, but that voice made me feel as though I was right next to him.
Deep, rich and hitting chords like John Coltrane or painting images like Romare Bearden or any other sincere artist.
There was no pretense and shtick with Kalas, just a voice that demanded your attention.
I was first drawn in by his work with the NFL recapping the week’s games at a time when the first chance to see a game you may have missed was on his mid-week show as those days we were without the internet, sports cable networks and sports specific networks.
His pipes were like James Earl Jones, Jack Buck (another deceased renowned baseball announcer) or hockey’s equally great deceased raconteur Dan Kelly, and you could tell that Kalas thoroughly enjoyed what he was doing.
The players he covered for so many years regardless of which school they belonged to – old or new - also admired Kalas. Check out this article from former Phillies centerfielder Doug Glanville: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/opinion/15glanville-harrykalas.html
Thanks Harry, for all the calls including “outta here” and “Mickey Morandini”.
PEACE
Topics: Videos |
April 20th, 2009 at 1:41 am
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