If you’re an MLB baseball fan, you’ve probably heard Hall of Famed Announcer Harry Kalas yell, “Outta Here,” when he broadcasted for Philadelphia Phillies games. He’s as well-known and ubiquitous in the City of Brother Love, as that big green mascot known as the Philly Fanatic. Well, its a sad day for Phillies fans that had much to celebrate as last year, they won the World Series which has been out of their grasp since the early 1980’s. Today, ESPN reported that at the age of 73, Harry Kalas passed away in a broadcast booth before a game with the Washington Nationals.
Originally from Naperville, Ill., Kalas native graduated from the University of Iowa in 1959 with a degree in speech, radio and television. He spent time in the Army, as a sports director for Hawaii radio station KGU, and did voice-over work from commercials to film work. Eventually, he became a broadcaster for Phillies games and you might know that Philly fans are a tough crowd. They boo, they don’t like outsiders, they will let you know how much they don’t like your team, but he eventually won the hearts of the tough Philly fans and has been in the announcers’ booth since 1971.
He also was the voice-over narrator for NFL Films as well as being a regular feature on “Inside the NFL.”
Being a native of Philadelphia, I’ll be the first to say that I remember watching Phillies games with my Dad and hearing Kalas say his infamous words, “Outta Here.” He managed to win over the tough-as-nails Philly crowd with his announcer skills and that’s not an easy feat.
Rest in peace, Kalas.
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