With Spring Training just around the corner, the Phillies are still in need to fill some of their gaps within their depth chart and lineup that they so desperately need. One of these spots is that of one of the corner-outfield positions.
Throughout the offseason, the team has been linked to many corner-outfielders such as Justin Upton, Scott Hairston, Cody Ross, Alfonso Soriano, and even Josh Hamilton, who was the marquee name in the free agent pool this offseason.
As of today, the Phillies have come up empty-handed in their pursuit for such power-bat. What they haven't been left out of, ironically, is pursuing depth in the infield. Currently, they have four non-roster invitees signed-on for Spring Training: newcomers Andres Blanco and Josh Fields & returnees Michael Martinez and Pete Orr. Infielders on the 40-man roster include All-Stars such as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Michael Young, along with Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis.
On top of all the before-mentioned names, as of today, the Phillies have been linked by CBS' Jon Heyman to two-time World Champion middle-infielder, Ryan Theriot. If the Phillies indeed sign Theriot, which would presumably be a major-league deal and thus putting the team approaching near their maximum desirable salary cap, the team would be left going into the 2013 season without having signed a corner outfielder to complement centerfielder Ben Revere.
So, do they trust 26 year-old rookie Darin Ruf, who has had only 33 at-bats thus far in his career, and Domonic Brown, who has struggled in just about all aspects of the game, to both start on Opening Day in the corner outfield positions? Probably not. Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro have said themselves they do not like to just hand-over jobs in the beginning of Spring Training. All players, especially unestablished ones, have to earn their spot on the Major League roster as the team pursues the ultimate goal of being World Champions near the end of October.
Who could give Darin Ruf and Domonic Brown competition in Clearwater? Laynce Nix is a possibility, as newly acquired Michael Young believes Nix could be a great asset to the team this upcoming season. Not even Nix really fits the spot well, however. John Mayberry is still there on the roster (for some reason), but him getting a starting role seems out of the question as of now. (A stellar Spring Training could change that, obviously). There's also Tyson Gillies, but he's not quite ready yet.
Thus, with the sudden infield surplus that the Phillies currently have (especially if they acquire Ryan Theriot) only one final name comes to my mind that could should be given the opportunity to play in the outfield: Chase Utley. It has been speculated before, as far less diving occurs in the outfield, which would go a long way in extending his playing career. As of today, Ruben Amaro has said “Chase is doing very, very well” thus far in being healthy enough to play in his first Spring Training game in two years.
While the idea of Chase playing in the outfield seems far-fetched, there's still a chance it could happen if all else fails. Even if the likeliness of it occuring is 1%, 1% is still more of a chance than 0%.
Matt Rappa is a contributor for Philliedelphia.com. You can find him on Twitter @mattrappa.
First it was Ryan Madson, now it's Hunter Pence. Yes, the moves made by Ruben Amaro Jr. and the Phillies front office has left Liscio's Bakery without a spokesman once again.
For 18 years, Liscio's has provided South Jersey, the Philadelphia area and beyond with its delicious bread, and has done great charity work for Philabundance and their battle against childhood hunger.
Liscio's is now in search for its next icon to help support the bakery and their great charity work. There has been rumored candidates to fill the vacancy with LeSean McCoy, running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, being one of them.
Seems like a good fit, right? Or, how about Jonathan Papelbon?
Watch below the TV Comerical that Hunter Pence did as spokesman for Liscio's. It will be fun to see what the next one will be!
Matt Rappa is a contributor for Philliedelphia.com. You can follow him on Twitter @mattrappa.
The Philadelphia Phillies have optioned left-handed relief pitchers Joe Savery and Jake Diekman to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to make room for the newly acquired outfielder Nate Schierholtz and RHP Josh Lindblom.
Savery had a 5.40 ERA in 19 games for the Phillies this season (25.0 innings pitched). Jake Diekman threw slightly better, as he had a 4.64 ERA in 23 games for the Phillies (21.1 innings pitched).
Schierholtz had 5 home runs and 17 RBIs in 2012 for the San Francisco Giants in a platoon-role in the outfield (.257 batting average). Lindblom had a (2-2) win-loss record for the Dodgers, with a 3.02 ERA and 43 strikeouts.
Matt Rappa is a contributor for Philliedelphia.com. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.
Final: Phillies 8, Nationals 0.WP: Cliff Lee (2-6, 3.73 ERA) LP: Stephen Strasburg (11-5, 3.12 ERA)
I forewarned after the matinee game on Sunday afternoon that many Phillies may have put on the red pinstripes for the very last time. Well, it turns out a couple of fan favorites, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, indeed have. With Victorino going to Los Angeles and Pence heading to San Francisco, the Phils' outfield has a new, fresh persona surrounding it.
The Phillies recalled outfielder Domonic Brown from the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, and catcher Brian Schneider was activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to Tuesday night's action. To make room for catching prospect Tommy Joseph, who was a part of the Pence deal, the Phillies sold Tuffy Gosewisch to the Toronto Blue Jays for no compensation.
Victorino and Pence weren't the only Phillies rumored to be on the trading block. Many others were coveted by clubs but deals could not be finalized. Juan Pierre had drawn interest from the Cincinnati Reds, Joe Blanton was the main and perhaps only significant target for the Baltimore Orioles, Ty Wigginton enticed the Yankees as a bench asset, and even Cliff Lee was in a rumored blockbuster deal to the Arizona Diamondbacks that would send power right-handed bat Justin Upton to Philadelphia.
Got to love the trade deadline season. Even former Phillie, Chad Qualls, was traded from the New York Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Casey McGehee. But now that 4:00 pm on July 31st has come and gone, only a trade through waivers can be made.
Tonight's game felt weird. Essentially like a new chapter in Philadelphia Phillies baseball. With Victorino and Pence gone, Domonic Brown has the chance to shine and show his ballclub what he can truly provide to help them win. If you remember, the Phillies traded Bobby Abreu along with Cory Lidle in 2006 to the New York Yankees, in which gave Shane Victorino at the time the chance to show the Phillies his skills in right-field. Maybe Domonic Brown can play up to his potential now that only he is in his way from staying up with the team on the MLB-level.
An early home run by Kevin Frandsen in the top of the second inning got the new-looking Phillies off to the right track offensively. In the top of the third, Juan Pierre stole his 24th and 25th base of the season, and subsequently scored on a throwing error by catcher Jesus Flores.
Things were going so well for the Phillies in tonight's action, even Cliff Lee brought in a run scoring Mayberry on second in the top of the fourth. The inning would get better. Way better. After Cliff Lee stole second off of Stephen Strasburg, Jimmy Rollins smashed a ball off the top of the right field fence, and was able to round the bases for his fourth career inside-the-park home run because of a Bryce Harper fielding blunder.
Jimmy Rollins has the most inside-the-park home runs in baseball since 2000 with 4. Chase Utley has (3), with his most recent coming off of the San Francisco Giants on July 26th last season.
Being on an innings-limit for the season and already given up six earned runs, tying the most he's ever allowed in a start in his career, Strasburg exited the game after just four innings. (4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2 HR). LHP Tom Gorzelanny, former Chicago Cub, came into the game in the 5th and threw three scoreless frames in total (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR). Henry Rodriguez relieved him in the 8th and part of the ninth (1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, o HR), with Drew Storen recording the final two outs in the top of the final frame (0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR).
Domonic Brown got a hit (59th overall) in his first 2012 at-bat off of Rodriguez in the 8th, and Carlos Ruiz along with Laynce Nix brought in two insurance runs in the top of the 9th, capping off the great offensive night for the new-look Phillies.
Cliff Lee retired the final 10 batters he faced, as he threw 103 pitches (68 strikes) in seven scoreless innings (7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR).Antonio Bastardo retired the first two batters in the eighth (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR), and Kyle Kendrick(0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR) along with Michael Schwimer recorded the final four outs for the Phillies (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR).
August baseball has arrived, which means only two months remain in the regular season. Vance Worley (5-6, 3.88 ERA) starts for the Phillies Wednesday evening (7:05 pm ET) against Edwin Jackson (6-6, 3.52 ERA). The game will be televised on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and can be heard on 94WIP and 1210 WPHT.
Matt Rappa is a contributor for Philliedelphia.com. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.
Despite the Phillies not having a game until Friday as they will head down to Atlanta to play the Braves, they will still be at Citizens Bank Park today. No, not for batting practice or a workout- they will be there for a much more important cause- The 28th annual Phillies Phestival.
Since 1984, the Phestival has raised more than $12.7 million for The ALS Association's Greater Philadelphia Chapter, in an effort to combat Lou Gehrig's Disease. More than 7,000 fans are expected to flood the gates around 4:00 pm, as the entire Phillies roster will be there for the event.
Fans with pre-paid tickets (now sold-out) can get their pictures taken with outfielders Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, starting pitcher Vance Worley, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and Greg "The Bull" Luzinski. Also sold-out are player autograph sessions, as each fan with a ticket to get into the event is awarded with booth tickets.
Many more events will be taken place as fans get autographs and pictures taken with their favorite players from the past and present. A silent auction will be held from 4:00 pm to 6:25 pm, and a live auction will be held at 6:15 pm in the Diamond Club Seating Area.
The Phestival, with more than 6,000 fans attending last year, raised approximately $900,000.
Update 1:44 pm: Stations Posted (Thanks goes to @JSmull05)
Stay tuned afterwards for pictures from today's event.
Matt Rappa is a contributor for Philliedelphia. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.
When a pitching change occurred during the Phillies' rally in the Bottom of the 7th inning in tonight's game, the Phanavision played an interactive 'cam for the Philly faithful. No, it wasn't the Bongo Cam. Instead, it was the Wac-A-Parrot Cam, mocking the Pirate Parrot. Hey, they had to do something to entertain the fans tonight after being forced to witness a horrific "bullpen game".
Matt Rappa is a contributor for Philliedelphia. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.
Three years ago to this day, Philadelphia lost the greatest voice in the world; Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas. The voice of the Phillies, the voice of our summers. The voice of Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. The voice of the 2008 World Series Champions. There is no chance that anyone could ever forget Harry calling Brad Lidge's perfect 48 for 48 saves as he struck out Eric Hinske to win the series for the Phillies, making them World (expletive) Champions.
Not only was it the World Series call that made him unforgettable, but of course all of the memorable moments in Phillies history, such as Mike Schmidt's five hundredth homerun, Mitch Williams closing out games in 1993 and the 1993 World Series, Jim Thome’s four hundredth home run , and many more fond memories (and not so fond memories) which led up to the 2008 World Series.
You will never forget where you were when you found out that Harry Kalas had passed away in Washington, D.C. during a Nationals series. From MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
"Everyone was heartbroken, and everyone cried. It was without a doubt the saddest day in the history of the Philadelphia Phillies. It was agonizingly painful to watch the Phillies and Nationals share a moment of silence on that day, and just as painful to see Harry's casket being carried onto the field and into the hurse just days later, by Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, and the rest of the Phillies. The Phillies wore an HK patch over their hearts for the remainder of the season, and fans all over the area bought shirts with the patch on it, too. Since that day, Harry's rendition of Frank Sinatra's "High Hopes" has been played at the end of every ball game at Citizen's Bank Park."
His voice will forever be the soundtrack of the Phillies. He was there for it all for 38 years, even when the Fightins fought through tough battles until 2007, when they made it to the postseason for the first time since 1993. More recently, he was there in spirit when the Phillies won the Division Series and Championship Series in 2009, and he was there in spirit when the players came out of the clubhouse (cigars in mouth and champagne in hand) and gave Harry's memorial banner in left field a nice round of high fives, and a few showers of beer and champagne. The fans wanted the Phillies to win it all in 2009 for Harry, but the Yankees had other plans for the Phils. That did not mean that they wouldn't stop fighting for the trophy in 2010 and years to come.
Despite the 2011 season ending sooner than expected, we all know that Harry Kalas was proud of this team. Harry would have loved to see these Phillies winning 102 regular season games. He would have without a doubt loved the starting rotation, the newly acquired right fielder Hunter Pence, and he would have been proud of seeing his Phillies make it to the postseason for the fifth straight year. The 2012 season will be another victorious one, because the Phillies have it all including the greatest voice in their heads to remind them everyday that they should have high hopes. These games will forever more be for you, Harry. Philadelphia loves you, the players love you, and we here at Philliedelphia love you. Rest in peace.
From Philliedelphia blogger Mike Frohwirth:
It seems like I spent almost my entire life listening to Harry call Phillies games. As a youngster, I listened to him on WCAU 1210 from my radio. Later, I was fortunate enough to be able to watch him broadcast games on cable, MLB.TV, and MLB Extra Innings. He was the voice of my childhood. He was the constant in my life as a Phillies fan.
I'm still shocked that he is gone. I'm still saddened that I will never hear him call a Phillies game again. I'm disappointed that he didn't get to visit the White House with the WFC. I'm frustrated that we will never be able to celebrate Harry's memorable career with him, in a massive retirement ceremony at CBP.
But I feel privileged to have been able to hear him on thousands of Phillies broadcasts. I feel honored to have heard him voice so many great moments in Phillies history. Mike Schmidt's 500th home run. The great teams of the 70s. 1983. 1993. I'm glad that he got to enjoy the 1980 and 2008 World Championship seasons. I'm pleased that he was able to take part in the WFC Parade, and the WFC Ring Ceremony. And I'm happy that he is reunited with Whitey now.
Thanks for everything, Harry. You are the man.
From Philliedelphia blogger Stephen Gallo:
When I think of Phillies baseball, I think of Harry Kalas.
I was 12 years old when my parents split up, and was moving back to Philadelphia with my mother. I'd be starting high school that September. That summer, I didn’t know anybody. I hadn’t lived in Philly for years, so I had lost contact with everyone I knew when I lived there before (of course, this was before the days of Facebook, Twitter, or even AIM). I had no friends, but I had Phillies baseball and Harry Kalas as their voice to pass the time.
Of course I was young and jobless, so the best part of every day was watching the Phillies and teaching myself how to keep a baseball score book. That was the summer I fell in love with baseball, more specifically the Phillies and their golden voiced announcer, Harry Kalas.
The way Harry told the story of each game was magical. Even back then, when our Phillies were dreadful, he made watching every game an event, and I didn’t want to miss a single one. He had charisma and a love for the game of baseball which I had never heard before. His calls, whether for a first inning homerun or for a game ending double play, always shot chills straight through me. He had a gift. I’ll never forget how I felt when I heard of Harry’s passing. I felt like I had lost a close friend.
Harry’s memory lives on. His famous homerun call, as well as his favorite song “High Hopes” are still staples at the ballpark for every game. He is responsible for so many Phillies fans’ love of the game, including this one.
Thank you, Harry.
"This is to the Philadelphia fan. To laud your passion as best I can. Your loyalty is unsurpassed. Be the Fightins in first or last. We come to the park each day, looking forward to another fray. Because we know you’ll be there, we know you really care. You give the opposing pitcher fits because as one loyalist shouts, everybody hits. To be sure in Philly, there might be some boos. Because you passionate fans, like the manager, hate to lose. Your reaction to the action on the field that you impart, spurs as broadcasters to call the game with enthusiasm and heart. We feel your passion through and through. Philadelphia fans, I love you."
From Philliedelphia blogger Frank Klose:
I was seven years old when I became a baseball fan, thanks to the lure of baseball cards and playing catch with the two boys next door. I still distinctly remember the first Harry Kalas call that resonated with me:
"Long drive, left-center field! Home run, Chris James!"
That call has stuck in my head since. Looking it up, that game was July 17, 1988. I am not sure I would even remember Chris James for any other reason than his being the first home run call I ever heard from Harry Kalas.
I was fortunate enough to meet Harry in September 2007 at RFK Stadium. Apparently, the press box food was as lousy as the stadium itself, and all the broadcasters came out to eat something in one concession area available to fans. As Sarge ventured over to Cluck-U Chicken, Harry stepped towards the balcony area overlooking D.C. to have a cigarette, and I followed, getting the chance to shake his hand and pose for a picture.
On Easter Sunday, 2009, as my mother-in-law gave us our Easter baskets, she asked me about Harry Kalas.
"I don't think he looks too good," I told her.
The next day I stepped onto the treadmill to attempt to burn off the previous day's Cadbury Creme Eggs and put my television on, and my fears were realized: Harry was gone.
We all lost a loving grandfather that day: one who kept us happy and optimistic when things were not going so well; who experienced the good and the bad alongside us through our life's journey. But we could not help but smile, for we knew he finally got to call a World Series victory just months before. Mission accomplished.
From Philliedelphia photographer and blogger Lindsey Crew:
My whole life has been centered on baseball. I can't remember a single time when it wasn't there. I consider myself quite lucky to be born into a family passionate about this game. As a toddler my mom would turn on the Phillies broadcast on the radio for me to fall asleep to. It got to the point that I couldn't sleep well without it.
I fell asleep to Harry and company every single summer night. Once I began competitively playing softball I started to take in the meaning of what Harry said. He knew so much about the game and really taught me to respect it. Harry loved baseball, he loved the Phillies and he loved us. My passion grew from listening to his stories, his enthusiasm in calling the games and from taking his words to heart. I always like to say that my father taught me how to play the game but Harry Kalas taught me how to love it.
The day Harry died I didn't know what to do with myself. I tried imaging Phillies baseball without his voice and it just seemed too foreign of a concept for me to grasp. Three years later and I still can't think of Harry without tearing up. I miss him every single day. When I have kids I'll be telling them about this era of Phillies baseball with a huge emphasis on Harry and what he meant to the fans and the entire organization.
Harry, I hope you and Whitey are causing a ruckus up there in heaven and watching over this team. We love and miss you so very much.
From Philliedelphia blogger Erik Seybold:
Growing up as a kid with parents who lived during the 70's-90's, some of the best years of Phillies' baseball, you can say it gave me advantages in life. I grew up surrounded by the same people who got smashed after the Phillies won the World Series. The same people who rooted for Lefty, Bull, The Dude, Dutch, Von Hayes, Steve Jeltz, Mike Schmidt, Kruker, Mickey Morandini, and more Phillies that played in that era. What kid in this area, during that time period, didn't grow up listening to Harry Kalas on the TV and the radio? I guess you can say it was a given that I, a young kid, was able to hear the voice of Harry Kalas calling the strike outs, home runs, wins and losses in the late 90's and early 2000's. Harry Kalas was not just a voice to me, he was also a comforting figure when my team was down and had no efforts of emerging victorious.
Before the Phillies started winning again in 2007-present, I would watch and listen to every game I could just to hear how the Phillies were doing. Whether they were down 10-0 in the 9th inning, or if they were squeezing by the opponent 2-1 in the 9th inning, Harry Kalas would let me know.
When Harry Kalas died three years, ago I didn't know what to feel. At first I felt like it was just a gaffe on the media's part. Harry Kalas dead? No way, he just called Matt Stairs' home run and called the Phillies last game in Colorado, how can he be dead? He seemed perfectly fine. After the shock hit me, I didn't cry, I didn't mourn, I didn't know what to do.
I've never really experienced death in my life, my Grandparents are alive and the only ones who have passed did so when I was an infant. Harry's passing wasn't like hearing it in the news, it was like seeing it in real life. I shed a tear or two the same day when the Phillies played the Nationals and Shane Victorino pointed to the sky, to Harry. But nothing hit me harder than his funeral a couple days later. That was the worst thing I've ever seen on TV. My parents were sulking in the living room and seeing each Phillie touch that casket and tears streaming down their faces, provoked tears in my eyes. I cried like a baby.
Harry Kalas was the voice of the Phillies, the voice of the fans, and the voice of the community. Harry Kalas affected each and every one of us in some sort of way. In my case, Harry spread the love and passion of baseball through the TV and radio signals straight to me. I love the game of baseball more than anything in the world, I'll die before I switch teams and I'm proud to be a fan, a fan that loved Harry Kalas, a fan that was loved back.
We love you, Harry. RIP.
From Philliedelphia photographer and blogger Steve Trapani:
For someone who didn't grow up in Philadelphia or the area, I didn't have the opportunity to grow up hearing Harry Kalas' voice. I didn't have the joy of hearing his great "Outta Here" home run calls or his raspy voice say the words "Michael Jack Schmidt". However, I did know who Harry Kalas was, How could I not. He was a Sports icon not just in Philadelphia but across the country. By the time I was 15 and starting paying more attention to the Phillies and baseball in general, I would soon learn more and more about the man behind the mic, and just how beloved he truly was by the city of Philadelphia.
I think back to the first Phillies game I attended in Philadelphia. It was opening day 2002, I was already 23 years old and having lived in a city without baseball or a baseball voice all my life (Washington DC) I knew i was venturing into something special. Being at the Vet on that Sunny April day was like a dream come true. Seeing Harry Kalas on the field before the game and hearing the crowd react to his every word was heart pounding, That is when I first realized just how special this man was to the Phillies and the City.
April 13th 2009 season was just getting underway when the Phillies came to Washington for their home opener. I got to the stadium that day at about noon for the afternoon game. I was in the outfield seats watching BP when I heard someone say "Harry Kalas just died" I stopped paying attention to the Phillies pitchers on the field shagging fly balls and turned to the man in shock and said "what"? He repeated himself "Harry Kalas is dead".
I could not believe my ears. I then grabbed my cell phone and checked online to see the news was in fact true. He had been in the Visitors broadcast booth at Nationals Park, just an hour before. As word spread around the stadium you could see the Phillies fans in attendance with a shock and sad look on their face. I wondered if they would play the game, I wondered if the team knew, I wondered how the team would react to the lose of their voice?
Well the game went on, In the pre-game ceremony's the Nationals paid tribute to Harry with a moment of silence. Very touching since it was so recent and ever so fresh in the minds of everyone in the stadium. People made signs on the back of pizza boxes that they just bought at the park. "RIP Harry" read most of them. At the end of the day the Phillies would go on to win that game and I know beyond doubt they did it for Harry.
From Philliedelphia blogger Christina Angelos:
It's hard to believe, but, three years ago, Philadelphia sports fans lost our "Voice."
I got to meet Harry Kalas once in 2005, only 16 years old. When I was leaving the ballpark one day, I had my opportunity to say hello and talk baseball while he was walking to his car. I was starstruck a little. It was probably the most random time I ever met a person who is related to baseball, even if it was 5 minutes. I think I got to know him and how much he really loved the city of Philadelphia. We got to talk about who won the game, who scored the runs... never a dull moment of being able to talk about baseball. Before he stepped into his car, he told me "always remember baseball is more of a mystery."
And that same teenager who is now 23 years old, can still admit that she gets as choked up now thinking about that moment as she did when it first happened.
For all of the deserving and astounding accomplishments Harry Kalas received during his time as an announcer, his greatest feat is that of a human being that so loved his city, the fans, and his team.
And when the impossible happened, when a World Series title run erupted in front of his eyes, his town couldn't be totally sure this mind-warping event had actually happened until the great Harry Kalas' golden voice exploded with the words: "The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 world champions of baseball."
Cheers Harry. We will never forget you and thank you for being such an incredible part of our lives.
From Philliedelphia blogger Kevin Durso:
He was the voice on my TV that rose with excitement every time the Phillies hit a home run. The greater the stakes, the greater the excitement. “Outta here!” was just as much a part of Philadelphia as it was the Phillies broadcasts.
For me, an aspiring sport writer, Harry Kalas was a hero and a role model. I never heard someone call a game with such grace and majesty in his voice. I never heard someone sound so devoted to the team he was calling. I learned early on from watching games that Harry was calling that there was only one way to watch Phillies baseball. It had to involve Harry and it had to be with the same passion he brought to each broadcast.
In the early Phillies seasons of my life, that was easier said than done. The Phillies weren’t a playoff team then, so while Harry went game by game treating every one as if the Phillies were on their way to winning the pennant, fans knew what the standings said.
That’s what makes his final two seasons of calling baseball so special. Harry’s voice was the first thing I heard the moment the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. I didn’t watch the final out live. I lived it in my backyard with Harry’s voice bellowing with euphoria over the radio. There was simply nothing better. Two days later, at the parade, I saw Harry host the new World Champions in their celebration. When Harry ever said anything about the fans, like he did on this day, it hit you personally. You and everyone around you felt personally touched by his words, like a little part of that was meant especially for you.
That’s what I always loved about Harry. And to me, Harry is now part of the baseball experience at Citizens Bank Park every game. When you look at that statue, you almost want to offer Harry a greeting, as if he was still here. On every home run, at least one fan is screaming that “that ball’s outta here!” At the end of every game, some fans just can’t leave the ballpark until they sing “High Hopes.”
Three years ago, when Harry passed so unexpectedly, it was a personal loss. I’ll be honest, I had not watched the Phillies with the same devotion I do now for my entire life. Several summers came and went without me ever really knowing what was going on in the world of the Phillies. But I always knew who Harry Kalas was. I always wanted to be like him in some way and I still do. I want to find that love for a team through my own work.
Now that I’m in college chasing that dream, I do slightly understand it. Part of the reason I love it so much is because of Harry Kalas and his lessons on loving what you do.
I still think of Harry every game. I await the start of every game with the hopes of saying “outta here!” as many times as possible and ending the night with a rousing rendition of “High Hopes.” That’s simply what Harry did and what Harry still does, even three years since his untimely death. He keeps making baseball great for people in Philadelphia and his legend grows with every game.
We leave you with Harry's rendition of "High Hopes," and one of my favorite quotes from him.
“In between the exuberance of youth and the serenity of the Golden Years lies a lifetime of memories. For a baseball fan, a million images here mark the passage of time. Whether it’s witnessing part of the game’s history, or simply making contact with a favorite player, the image is indelible. Who can forget that first look at a big league ballpark? The colors, the sounds, the smells. These are as lasting as the day they first happened. We choose our favorite players by the most subjective means: we like his stance in the batter’s box, or the way he wears his cap. His smile. Or maybe we just like his name.”
A tweet sent out by ESPN writer Buster Olney Monday morning stated that Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera has more extra-base hits and RBIs than the entire Philadelphia Phillies team combined.
Shane Victorino, who has 3 hits in 10 at-bats this season, replied in quite a "peeved" attitude.
The Phillies, in their home-opener, could erase their recent offensive woes when they face Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez in the first matchup of a three-game series.
Matt Rappa is a Contributor for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @mattrappa.
Antonio Bastardo retired the first two batters in the eighth (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR), and Kyle Kendrick (0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR) along with Michael Schwimer recorded the final four outs for the Phillies (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR).