The faithful returned to Citizens Bank Park yesterday.
On a glorious spring afternoon, the place was again packed to the rafters for the Phillies home opener.
The listed attendance was 44,791.
But one person was missing.
Harry Kalas was not there.
It was exactly one year ago today that the Phillies lost their voice.
Kalas collapsed and died in the announcing booth before a game with the Nationals in Washington.
A new exhibit honoring Kalas has been established at Laurel Hill Cemetery, where the legendary announced is buried.
And work continues on a 7-foot bronze sculpture that will eventually be forged at Chester’s Laran Bronze and should be ready for placement outside Citizens Bank Park later this summer.
But none of them do justice to what we lost when Kalas’ perfectly blended baritone was silenced.
Maybe the best way to gauge the effect Kalas had on Phillies baseball and their fans is how we react every time a guy in those red pinstripes hits a home run.
The chant can be heard every time.
“Outttaheeeeere.”
It’s been a year since we lost “The Voice of Summer.”
Hard to believe, Harry.
On a glorious spring afternoon, the place was again packed to the rafters for the Phillies home opener.
The listed attendance was 44,791.
But one person was missing.
Harry Kalas was not there.
It was exactly one year ago today that the Phillies lost their voice.
Kalas collapsed and died in the announcing booth before a game with the Nationals in Washington.
A new exhibit honoring Kalas has been established at Laurel Hill Cemetery, where the legendary announced is buried.
And work continues on a 7-foot bronze sculpture that will eventually be forged at Chester’s Laran Bronze and should be ready for placement outside Citizens Bank Park later this summer.
But none of them do justice to what we lost when Kalas’ perfectly blended baritone was silenced.
Maybe the best way to gauge the effect Kalas had on Phillies baseball and their fans is how we react every time a guy in those red pinstripes hits a home run.
The chant can be heard every time.
“Outttaheeeeere.”
It’s been a year since we lost “The Voice of Summer.”
Hard to believe, Harry.
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