Phillies Legends: Harry Kalas

For over 35 years, Harry Kalas was the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies, broadcasting over 6,000 games, making him a true Phillies legend.

Charles Fox/Phialdelphia Inquirer/MCT/Sipa USA

If you look at the history of Philadelphia Phillies' broadcasters, you'll find many names, but none of them will have had as long a tenure or such an impact on the team and city as Harry Kalas did.

Kalas was born in Naperville, Illinois in 1936, and attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a degree in speech, radio, and television.

After being discharged from the military in 1961, Kalas got his start in the broadcasting industry as he began commentating for the Hawaii Islanders, a minor-league affiliate of the now Oakland Athletics.

Four years later, Kalas would move from Hawaii to Houston where he would start to call Houston Astros games. Kalas would stay in Houston for six years before moving out East to settle down and start commentating for the Phillies.

Kalas got his start in Philadelphia in 1971, replacing Bill Campbell who had been in the booth for the previous seven seasons.

Over the course of 30 seasons, Kalas became known for many things to the Phillies faithful, such as his one-of-a-kind catchphrases like "That ball is outta here," which started at some point in the 1970s and would remain in his vocabulary up until the very end.

Kalas was the voice of a number of notable moments in Phillies history, including Mike Schmidt's 500th career home run, the Phillies being named 1993 NL Champions, and above all, the Phillies winning the World Series in 2008.

Apart from the memorable calls, Kalas also amounted several accolades during his career, including the Ford C. Frick Award, a spot in the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, a plaque in Ashburn Alley, and a statue in Citizens Bank Park.

Outside of baseball, Kalas narrated NFL Films from 1975 until 2009, becoming the trademark voice of it in 1984.

On April 13, 2009, five days after being given his 2008 World Series ring, Kalas collapsed in the broadcast booth prior to that day's game against the Washington Nationals. Kalas died from heart disease at the age of 73.

Despite passing away, Kalas' presence is still felt in Citizens Bank Park after every Phillies' win, when a video of Kalas singing "High Hopes" is played on the jumbotron, which he would often sing at team events.

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