When Harry met Whitey, it meant all the difference
For me, it hadn't been the same since Richie Ashburn died 12 years ago.
When Harry Kalas -- the longtime Phillies announcer who passed away today as the Phils prepared to play the Nationals in Washington -- arrived in Philadelphia in 1971 he was actually regarded as a carpetbagger. At the time, Kalas replaced a guy with whom fans were far more comfortable, Bill Campbell.
Campbell, who has regular-Joe features, had called games for the old NBA Philadelphia Warriors, the Eagles and the Phillies. He gushed when the home teams did well and agonized when they failed, which was often. The new guy, Kalas, was a pretty-boy, sandy-haired Midwesterner who was imported from the Houston Astros airwaves. His perspective was a bit more, well, detached. And it's safe to say, as in some other working-class, old-school cities, that newcomers can find the reception cool in Philadelphia -- and so it was for Kalas initially.
But the broadcast partnership between Kalas (right) and former Phillies center fielder and fan favorite Richie Ashburn (left) made all the difference for Kalas.
(Below Harry Kalas makes the final call of the 2008 World Series)
The two developed an on-air camaraderie that allowed listeners to feel like they were sitting in on a private conversation between two good friends who were just watching a game. Ashburn, a great base-stealer during his Hall-of-Fame career, would eye a runner leaning off first and remark matter-of-factly, "He looks a little runner-ish to me, Harry." And Harry would simply say, "We'll see," casually deferring to his partner's expertise.
And so it pretty much went like this: If Harry was good enough for "Whitey" Ashburn, then he was OK with the rest of the city. Of course, over the course of more than three decades, Kalas himself became synonymous with Philadelphia baseball and a Philly institution in his own right. His trademark "Outta here" home run call has been echoed millions of times in street-ball games all over Philadelphia and his baritone voice can be heard in the mind's ear of everyone who ever heard him. He even made his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
But since Ashburn passed away, a parade of sports announcers of every stripe have trooped through the broadcasting booth to share play-by-play with Kalas and, not surprisingly, no similar magic chemistry ever developed. Ashburn died in New York after broadcasting a Phils-Mets game. Like his old pal, Harry Kalas also died on the road while busy with yet another baseball game.
So I'll chose to think of it this way: Once again, Whitey is musing that the guy leaning off first base looks "runner-ish" and Harry is making the call that a long drive is "Outta here." Just two good friends watching a ballgame.
Comments
Thanks Bill, you really captured the joy of listening to Harry and "His Whiteness". I'm sure they're spending this evening together in the great broadcast booth in the sky!
Posted by: dave taylor | April 13, 2009 8:16 PM
When Kalas replaced Bill Campbell in 1971, the 'main' Phillies announcer was By Saam, who had announced in Philly since the 1930s - and whom Chuck Thompson had once understudied. Saam retired after 1975 and Kalas then was considered the number one voice. (Ashburn once said that the ballclub wanted Kalas to replace Saam insteaad of Campbell - because Saam had developed a cataract and had problems seeing the ball - but the radio/TV sponsor didn't want Saam dropped.) Baltimore fans in those days could see Phillies Sunday TV games on Lancaster's Channel 8 (WGAL). I remember first watching as a seven year old in 1972 who was really intrigued with Kalas' baratone voice.
Posted by: Thomber Hugoharris | April 13, 2009 11:47 PM
I grew up in central PA and had a team in each league: the Phils and the Orioles. (With a common foe: the Pirates.) If anyone in Baltimore wants to know what Harry Kalas meant to Phillies fans, just think "Chuck Thompson." Same thing. Both of them big voices with bigger hearts. And they both said the same thing about broadcasting games: that in doing so, people were inviting them into their homes, and they considered it an honor. It was an honor to grow up listening to both of them.
One thing Harry had that Thompson lacked was the perfect foil: Ashburn and Kalas were the perfect play-by-play pairing.
Here is my favorite Whitey and Harry story, related in one of the Philly papers this morning:
One of Ashburn's responsibilities as a broadcaster was doing interviews for the pre-game show... according to Kalas, more than once, Ashburn came back to the booth saying "Boys, that has to be one of the best interviews I've ever gotten down" only to have the engineer tell him that the tape was blank... and leave Ashburn scrambling to find ANYONE willing to do an interview for the pregame show.
According to Kalas, one night after this happened, he and Ashburn were in a hotel bar in New York City, and a call girl came up to them and said "Boys, for a hundred dollars I'll do anything you want."
Ashburn thought for a second, then looked at the hooker and said "How about doing the pre-game show?"
Posted by: Max | April 14, 2009 8:36 AM
Whitey and Harry the K were a great team because it was so relaxed. They didn't need to scream to get your attention, they were comfortable enough to know they had it already. So the banter was great.
And his voice was wonderful.
To me, the best part of the Phillies 2008 Series DVD collection is that I can listen to Harry call the games.
Kalas was part of everyone's day in Philly for half the year. Down the shore, in the car, at the card table, cooking dinner, Harry's unmistakable voice was there.
That made him utterly familiar. Millions of people feel like they lost a family member yesterday.
Posted by: Steve Grantz | April 14, 2009 10:58 AM
Through my friendship with Andy Musser, I was given a press pass for all the Philly games in Los Angeles. Whenever I entered the Philly broadcast booth, Harry Kalas turned to me and announced my name like the public address announcer announcing the next batter in a game,,,slowly and carefully. It doesn't get any better than that when you are greeting a person or friend. God Bless Harry.
Posted by: Joseph Szymanski | April 14, 2009 8:53 PM