Monday, April 13, 2009

Hary Kalas, RIP, 1936-2009

The voice of the Phillies has been silenced.

Harry Kalas, the Phillies' legendary Hall of Fame announcer, died today after he collapsed in the press box at Nationals Stadium in Washington, where the Phillies are in town to play a three-game series.

Kalas was a fixture on radio and television since 1971. His signature call of "Outta here!" every time a Phillies player hit a home run was known to Phillies fans everywhere.

Kalas was rushed to George Washington University Medial Center Monday afternoon, where he was pronounced dead at age 73.

In announcing Kalas' death, Phillies team president David Montgomery said, "We have lost our voice."

The Phillies announced that the game against the Nationals will be played as scheduled, but the team will not visit the White House tomorrow to be recognized as the 2008 World Champions, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Kalas was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

For a full bio of Harry Kalas, check out the Phillies Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS