From Bob Costas: “Obviously, he’s going to be remembered as the successor to John Facenda, the voice of NFL Films and as so many of the greatest local announcers become, he was more than just admired for his craft, he was a beloved institution in Philadelphia.  I think this is generally true, in an era where players, even great players, come and go, the real fixture in baseball is often the local radio voice.  That’s the person that links generations to each other that people can say they grew up listening to.  Richie Ashburn passed away not too long ago, and now Harry Kalas and you’d have to be, and I’m not saying I would understand this fully, but I understand the idea of it from St. Louis or the voices I grew up listening to in New York, people in Philadelphia feel a personal sense of loss right now.  This is a voice that took them from childhood into adulthood through passages in their life, things change a lot, but you continue to follow your club, the personnel of the club, turns over from generation to generation, Harry Kalas is always calling the game, so this is a civic loss when someone like that passes away. 

“Obviously, Harry was a great announcer, he’s even in the Hall of Fame because of that, but you couldn’t convince someone from Philadelphia that there was anyone better to call a game than Harry Kalas.  You couldn’t convince someone in St. Louis that there was anyone better to call a game than Jack Buck or before that, Harry Caray, and that’s the way it should be.  If you live in Cincinnati, then Marty Brennaman is what baseball sounds like to you.  And Ernie Harwell is what it sounded like in Detroit.  That’s part of the beauty of baseball broadcasting.”

Jim Kaat: “We all liked to imitate Harry when I was with the Phillies and say 'Michael Jack Schmidt' and you said the timber in his voice, but it was more than that.  Harry was a good friend.  There were 16 of us that usually gathered in the wintertime and played golf for four days down in Florida and Harry regaled us with his 'Hail to the Redskins' time after time.  So beyond just the broadcaster with the booming voice, it was a privilege to know him as a friend."

From NFL Films head Steve Sabol: “In the 46 years of NFL Films, we have worked with two of the greatest voiceover talents in television history.  John Facenda was the ‘Voice of God’ and Harry Kalas was the ‘Voice of the People.’

“His substance was his style.  There was no shtick, just a steady blend of crisp articulation and resonance.

“In many ways, Harry is the narrator of our memories.  His voice lives on not only on film, but inside the heads of everyone who has watched and listened to NFL Films.”

# # #

Bill Ordine wrote a fine piece on Kalas at our Toy Department blog. I, too, lived near Philadelphia and recall when Kalas came to town. The typical exchange between him and Richie Ashburn that I remember usually went something like this:

Kalas (in that distinctive, drawn-out style, describing the Phillies trying to avoid giving up runs that could cost the game): "IN-field in, OUT-field in."

Ashburn: "Tough way to play baseball, Harry."

Posted by Andy Knobel at 9:23 PM in baseball | Permalink | Comments (2)
                       

On the eve of its first Thursday night game (Brewers at Giants, 7 tonight), MLB Network announced it also will carry Saturday night games, starting this weekend with Dodgers at Diamondbacks at 8. All of the MLB Network games are subject to blackouts in the home markets of the two teams, so the Orioles-Royals game May 14 will be seen only on MASN here, not MLB Network as in the rest of the country except for the Kansas City market.

Posted by Ray Frager at 11:37 AM in baseball | Permalink | Comments (3)
                       

The MLB Network has set its schedule for Thursday night games in April and May, and the Orioles are making an early season appearance. Do you figure the network wanted to get them out of the way in May (and felt the same about the Royals, their opponent)?

Though this is a Thursday night package, the schedule includes the opener for the new Yankee Stadium on April 16. The schedule, with announcers:

April 9, 7 p.m.: Brewers @ Giants -- Matt Vasgersian and Joe Magrane

April 16, 1 p.m.: Indians @ Yankees -- Bob Costas, Harold Reynolds and Jim Kaat

April 16, 8 p.m.: Blue Jays @ Twins -- Victor Rojas and Dan Plesac

April 23, 8 p.m.: Dodgers @ Astros -- Vasgersian and Magrane

April 30, 7 p.m.: Red Sox @ Rays -- Rojas and Magrane

May 7, 7 p.m.: Phillies @ Mets -- Costas and Al Leiter

May 14, 8 p.m.: Orioles @ Royals --TBD

May 21, 8 p.m.: Cubs @ Cardinals -- TBD

 

Posted by Ray Frager at 7:30 AM in baseball | Permalink | Comments (4)
                       

Credit Deadspin for picking up this rather unfortunate mix-up of head shots by ESPN, putting the head of the Steroid King, Jose Canseco, where that of outspoken steroid opponent Curt Schilling should have been.

 

 

Posted by Ray Frager at 7:30 AM in baseball | Permalink
                       

You wouldn't have expected Curt Schilling to announce his retirement any other way, would you? And, as has been noted elsewhere, you could read the following passage as his opening argument for inclusion in the Hall of Fame:

"Four World Series, three World Championships. That there are men with plaques in Cooperstown who never experienced one — and I was able to be on three teams over seven years that won it all — is another 'beyond my wildest dreams' set of memories I’ll take with me."

Of course, you also could read that simply as Schilling being thankful. But even as we draw our last breaths, it's hard to lose the Mainstream Media cynicism.

Posted by Ray Frager at 2:58 PM in baseball | Permalink | Comments (1)
                       

MLB Network also will carry Alex Rodriguez's news conference today from Tampa. Its coverage starts at 1 p.m. Among the commentators in the studio will be Bill Ripken.

Posted by Ray Frager at 11:20 AM in baseball | Permalink
                       

ESPN will carry Alex Rodriguez's news conference from Yankees camp in Tampa tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. on three outlets: on SportsCenter on ESPN, on ESPNEWS and on ESPN Radio (1300 AM locally).

Posted by Ray Frager at 4:33 PM in baseball | Permalink
                       

Bob Costas will be a regular presence on MLB Network, hosting a studio show and other programming and calling some games, the network announced today.

MLB Network Studio 42 with Bob Costas debuts Thursday at 8 p.m. with a Joe Torre interview. Costas also will be the play-by-play voice on "a select number" of MLB Network's 26 games.

The latter is the best part of this deal. Costas always was a terrific baseball announcer, but he has been parked in studios for a long time. He oozes love of baseball from his pores -- OK, that's not the most appealing imagery -- so this is a great move by MLB. 

This is an exclusive cable deal for Costas, which means he won't appear anymore on HBO.

Posted by Ray Frager at 2:15 PM in baseball | Permalink | Comments (8)
                       

MASN has added former major league pitcher turned opinion slinger Rob Dibble as an analyst for its Washington Nationals telecasts this season, replacing Don Sutton, who asked to be let out of his contract, the network announced.

Sutton reportedly could be returning to call games for the Braves, which he did before joining MASN in 2007.

Dibble has worked for ESPN, Fox and XM satellite radio. I recall him most vividly as Dan Patrick's partner on ESPN Radio, and he was never one to back away from expressing a strong point of view. If the Nats were hoping for someone to soften the blow while they continue to struggle, Dibble wouldn't be their man.

Posted by Ray Frager at 1:52 PM in baseball | Permalink | Comments (5)
                       

ESPN is adding Steve Phillips as a third announcer on its Sunday Night Baseball telecasts. The former Mets general manager has enhanced the network's baseball coverage, mostly as a studio commentator, and now he will cut into the amount of time Joe Morgan can talk. But Phillips' presence also means less Jon Miller. 

Posted by Ray Frager at 10:26 AM in baseball | Permalink | Comments (6)