Sad news from Washington: The great voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas, has passed away. I was told he collapsed in the press box at Nationals Stadium around Noon (CST) and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter at a nearby hospital.

“We lost Harry today,” David Montgomery, the team president, said. “We lost our voice.”

Mr. Kalas was 73.

This is a great loss. Aside from his legendary status as an announcer, Mr. Kalas was always very generous with his time for young announcers. He always offered great advice to me. In 2007, my first year in the big leagues, I had the pleasure of dining with Mr. Kalas in Philadelphia. We had a long talk about broadcasting and living the life of a Major League play-by-play man. He welcomed me “to the club” and offered some encouraging words after watching a few Brewers telecasts. He told me, “No matter how popular you get, no matter how long you’ve been in one place, none of us are bigger than the game. Always keep it about the game and you’ll be A-OK.”Hearing that from a Hall of Famer (2002) means a great deal and I will never forget our talks every time the Brewers faced the Phillies.

Mr. Kalas, an Illinois native, leaves us where he was most at home, in the broadcast booth.

Pat Hughes of Cubs Radio, produced a terrific audio documentary on Harry Kalas, I highly recommend you log onto Baseball Voices  if you want a special way to remember the great voice of the Phillies.

Mr. Kalas will be missed by all baseball fans, especially those in the broadcasting fraternity.

-BA